Fire Emblem: Tides of Radiance
by LoZfan86
Summary: Approximately two years after the events of Radiant Dawn. Ike and Soren have returned to Crimea and to the Greil Mercenaries, but they soon learn that the continent is on the brink of war again. The tides have turned, and now an old ally has become a fearsome enemy. IkeXMia, SotheXMicaiah, SorenXMist.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: OH MY GOODNESS! So many awesome stories going on all at the same time! How ever will I manage? Well, I got the idea for this one a little while ago, and I knew I had to write it because otherwise I'd forget about it! And besides, there really aren't that many Tellius stories in the FE section of this site, which kinda surprised me. I hope all you Tellius fans enjoy this one! And before you even say anything or flame and whatnot, I know that Ike left at the end of Radiant Dawn and never returned. I know that! But for the sake of this story, he and Soren come back, okay? This is supposed to be kind of a continuation of Radiant Dawn, so Ike needs to be here! :P Also, Ike and Soren are NOT gay! Sorry, but I really can't stand that pairing. Since when is it gay for two guys to be close friends, anyway? So also no flaming about that please! :P Okay, I've babbled enough. I'll let you read this first chapter now. Remember, if you like it, follow, favorite, and review! I'm not exactly sure how fast I'll be updating due to the fact I'm now writing three stories all at the same time. :P Please enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All characters you recognize belong to Nintendo/Intelligent Systems.**

The land of Tellius did not seem any different than it had been the day they left. The grass was still very green, which meant rain had been plentiful and the land did not suffer any droughts. The trees were still tall and strong. It was nearly nightfall, and the crickets were singing happily. The air felt so pristine and light. It seemed that peace had finally been restored for a long period of time. But as they traveled to the fort of the Greil Mercenaries, one of them couldn't help but be nervous.

The raven-haired boy known as Soren stopped in his tracks, conjuring deep thoughts in his tactful mind. His long-time friend and the commander of the Greil Mercenaries, Ike, immediately came to stand by his side.

"Soren, what's wrong?" he asked, running a hand through his blue hair. "Why did you stop? We can make it back to the fort before it gets dark if we hurry."

"Why are you so eager, anyway?" Soren hissed. His mouth was a thin line, and his red eyes burned through Ike's mind. "You were the one who wanted to leave in the first place!"

"Yes," Ike responded slowly. "And now we're back." He reached to put a hand on the boy's shoulder, but Soren quickly turned away from him.

Soren sighed then. "What makes you think we'll be welcomed back with open arms?" he asked. "We left without telling a single soul." He sat down on a nearby boulder, putting his face in his hands. "Well, maybe you will."

"What are you talking about, Soren?" Ike inquired, also taking a seat on the boulder. He moved his hand again, but this time, Soren slapped it. "Ouch!" Ike yelped. "No need to get violent, now!"

"Sorry," Soren apologized flatly. He was always known for his cold personality, and almost never meant what he said. "I was just thinking," he began to speak again. "You're the commander, and they have to welcome you back. But me..." his voice trailed off. Ike noticed a tear was beginning to form in his eye.

"Soren," he said, a little astounded. "You're crying."

Soren looked up at Ike abruptly, quickly rubbing at his eye. "No I'm not," he lied. Ike saw right through him, however.

"Soren," he said. "Tell me what's the matter." It was an order.

Soren sighed, and more tears threatened to drip from his eyes. "Ike," he whimpered after a while. "Nobody ever liked me. Nobody except for you." The tears flooded down his face now, and he had no control over his emotions. "They will cast me aside," he said 'they' like it was the plague he was speaking about. "Just like they did before."

Ike couldn't help but feel immense pity for his dear friend. "Soren, no one hated you," he said. He once again reached for Soren's shoulder, and Soren finally let it rest there. "Your talents are very helpful to our army-"

"And that's all you need me for!" Soren spat, getting up from the boulder and walking a fair distance from Ike. He leaned up against a tree and bowed his head slightly. "I thought you cared about me, Ike," he said softly.

"Soren, of course I care about you!" Ike insisted, walking over towards Soren. "You're my best friend." He sighed then. "I've tried to make the others understand you, but you also need to try and understand them."

Soren hesitated before speaking again. "They don't understand me, Ike. No one understands me but you." He inhaled deeply. "I'll try to be more...how you say...open?"

Ike laughed heartily upon hearing this. "Alright then, let's keep moving."

* * *

The Greil Mercenaries sat around a small fire that night outside Fort Pinell, one of Crimea's defenses that Queen Elincia had graciously donated to them. They all silently ate their meal of chicken and rice that Oscar prepared for them. Ilyana, the bottomless pit of the group, was asking around to see if anyone was going to finish their food. Zihark, who secretly loved Ilyana, agreed to give her the last of his meal. The silence had become quite customary, ever since their leader and tactician left them. Ike's younger sister, Mist, sat beside the new chief commander, Titania. She had been second in command prior to Ike's vacating, but had since moved up in the ranks. The Greil Mercenaries needed a commander, after all, and she was the only one qualified for the job.

"The fire's going out," Mist spoke up suddenly, and they all looked at the dying flames. For a while, no one moved.

"I'll go get some more wood," Rolf, one of the mercenaries' skilled archers, offered. Boyd, his older brother, went with him. Mist bowed her head then, and began to weep softly. The others noticed this, and they all looked at each other sadly. Mist had a way of making others feel her emotions as well, even if they had no clue what she was sad about. But they all knew why she cried. The same reason she had cried for the past two years. She cried for her brother and Soren.

"Shhhh, Mist. It's okay," Titania comforted, wrapping her arms around the girl. She was like a mother to the group. "Maybe it's time to accept the fact that they're gone?"

Mist pulled away from Titania's grasp. "How can you say that?" she asked, shocked at what she was hearing. "Any moment now, they could come back!"

"Hello?" A familiar voice called to the group. They all spun their heads around to see where the voice came from.

"Ike?!" Mist clucked. "Is it really you?" She took a little time to discern if what she was seeing was real. Upon realizing the two men standing in front of them weren't a facade, she jumped up from the log she was sitting on and bolted towards her big brother. She jumped into his arms once she reached him.

Ike grunted a little at the impact. "It's good to see you too, little sister," he chuckled. "You've grown."

Mist smiled up at Ike, then noticed Soren out of the corner of her eye. "Soren!" she exclaimed, loosening herself from Ike's hug. She dropped to the ground and ran towards Soren. She took his narrow face in her hands and gently kissed the Brand mark in the middle of his forehead. Soren just stared at her with an astonished expression on his face. Had she really just done that? Then she smiled at him, her giant blue orbs looking directly into his ruby red ones. "Welcome home," she whispered. She quickly and without warning threw her arms around him. Soren's own arms hung stiffly at his sides, not quite sure what they were supposed to do. Eventually, the look on his face turned from surprise to acceptance, and he embraced her as well, holding on tight. He breathed in deeply with his nose, catching her scent. She smelled like apple blossoms.

"Oh my goddess!" Titania gasped. "It's really them." She and the rest of the mercenaries then flooded towards Ike and Soren. They all asked a million questions. The two travelers were a little taken-a-back by this, and tried to calm them down.

"Why don't we sit by the fire and Soren and I will tell you all about our journey?" Ike suggested. The mercenaries agreed to this, and they all took their places by the fire again. By this time, Rolf and Boyd had returned with wood.

"Ike?" Rolf asked. "Is that you?" He and Boyd looked at each other with disbelief.

"Yes, it's me," Ike answered with a smile. Rolf approached him slowly, as if a sudden movement would wake him up from the dream he was almost certain he was having.

"Permission to hug the commander?" he asked, after pinching himself several times.

"Permission granted, Rolf," Ike answered with a laugh. Rolf didn't waste any time after he said this. He squeezed Ike so hard, the commander found that it was almost difficult to breathe. "Okay, kid," he croaked.

"Oh! Sorry!" Rolf apologized and quickly pulled away from the hug. "It's just so great to see you!"

Ike smiled at the young archer and ruffled his bright green hair. Boyd placed the extra wood on the fire, and it immediately roared back to life. The mercenaries cheered upon seeing it, something they hadn't done in a long time.

"Wait," Titania said suddenly, causing everyone to look in her direction. "I'm going to get Mia." The mercenaries all turned to Ike then, and nodded. Their faces told Ike that they knew something he didn't. Soren also looked at Ike, sensing something was up.

_Mia?_ Ike asked himself, as if not remembering the name. But of course, he had not forgotten about the spunky swordswoman. Memories of her instantly came flooding back to him. Her brilliant smile, her bright personality, her adept skill with the blade. He'd told Soren that no one knew they were leaving, but he had, in fact, told one person of their plans.

_"You're leaving, aren't you?" Mia asked, knowing all too well of his and Soren's idea. She had followed him to the river that night, sensing something was wrong. The goddess Ashera had been defeated, and the soldiers were returned to their former selves after being turned into stone statues. All seemed right with the world, but something was troubling Ike, and Mia knew it._

_ Ike sat by the bank of the river, washing his face with the cool water. "How do you always know, Mia?" he asked, and smiled a little despite himself._

_ Mia sat down beside him then, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to go," she said. "You can stay here. With Mist, and Titania, and..." her voice became softer. "And me."_

_ Ike looked into her green eyes and knew immediately how she felt about him."You and I," he began, still gazing into her eyes. "We're very much alike, you know."_

_ Mia smiled a little. "Yes, I do know that." Then she took her hand off his shoulder. "I always thought I was being foolish to-" she cut herself off and turned away._

_ Ike was still looking at her, not wanting to take his gaze away. "To what?" he asked, though he had a feeling he knew what she was going to say._

_ Mia sighed and looked back at Ike. "To fall for my commander," she whispered. _

_ "That's funny," Ike said. "I thought it would be foolish to fall in love with one of my recruits." With this being said, they both wrapped their arms around each other at the exact same time, their lips crashing together. It was only a matter of time before they had both taken off their clothes..._

Ike was drawn out of his flashback by Soren waving his hand in front of his face. "Ike?" the tactician asked. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine," Ike replied, bringing himself back to the real world. Needless to say, he and Mia had 'explored each other' that night. Ike felt his face getting very hot, as the mercenaries were still staring at him. He felt ashamed of his actions that night. How could he lead such a sweet girl like Mia on like that? To make love to her, only to leave the next day. He hated himself at the moment. Now it made perfect sense why everyone was staring. Mia had obviously told them what he did to her, and must've despised him for it now.

Titania returned to the group with the young woman just a moment later. Mia took one look at Ike, and her eyes grew wide. She approached the log he and Soren were sitting on, but not fast. Ike wasn't quite sure what she was feeling at the moment. From the outside, it looked like disbelief, but on the inside, it could've been anything. "Ike?" she asked softly once she was only a short distance away. "Is-is that you?"

Ike swallowed a large lump in his throat. "Yes," he answered cautiously. From her quiet tone, he discerned that she wasn't angry with him. "I'm sorry," he apologized then, hanging his head in shame. "For what I did. I shouldn't have."

"I was at fault, too," Mia said, taking Ike's hand. He looked around and saw everyone still gawking.

"Does everyone know?" he asked, scanning the crowd of mercenaries. Some of them caught on and turned away, while others couldn't help but watch the scene that had unfolded.

"Well, it was pretty obvious when I got-" she stopped and cleared her throat. "Here, I'll just show you." Then she walked back into the large fort Titania had brought her out of.

"Ike?" Soren asked nervously, thinking he knew where this was going. "What did you do?"

"I guess I'll find out in a moment," Ike said, a new, larger lump returning to his throat. _Surely that didn't happen_. He tried to calm himself. _It couldn't have happened. It was only one time! _Mia came out of the fort then, holding a bundle of blankets in her arms. Soren sucked in a huge breath of air, for he knew now, his assumptions were correct. The mercenaries all watched Mia as she carefully walked back over to Ike, occasionally looking down at the bundle in her arms.

"Ike," she said once she stood near him again. "I think it's time you met your daughter, Erin."

**A/N: Thanks for reading chapter 1! Hopefully, chapter 2 will be up soon! Hopefully! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay guys! Chapter 2 has arrived! I apologize if this one's a bit on the short side. I was debating if I wanted to add in another section, but decided to leave it for next chapter. Before I say my usual "follow, favorite, and review" line, I just want to clear something up: To those of you who are saying Mia seems OOC, I apologize. It's a little hard to make her chirpy and hyper when she's got a kid. Perhaps having a kid made her slightly more mature...? :P Haha I will try to make her more like herself in the next chapters to come, when she's not holding a baby. :) Okay, now that that's out of the way, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Follow, favorite, and review please!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All characters you recognize belong to Nintendo/Intelligent Systems.**

"Erin?" Ike repeated the name, looking at the little child in Mia's arms. Soren had offered up his seat next to Ike, and Mia graciously accepted. She offered to let Ike hold his daughter, and carefully placed the tiny child in his arms. Her eyes were opened, and she was smiling up at him. Ike took note of her features. She had vibrant green eyes, like Mia's, and a head that was already full of deep sapphire hair. He couldn't help but smile at her. She was most definitely the product of their night together. "How old is she?" Ike asked, looking up at Mia.

"She's a little over a year," Mia answered. Erin made a gurgling noise then, causing Ike to chuckle a bit.

Titania stood up from the log she was sitting on . "Alright, troops," she said. "I think it's time we all got some sleep." The mercenaries agreed, some of them yawning. Titania ushered them inside the large, stone fort. "Get a good night's sleep, everyone. Tomorrow, we train hard."

Mia gently took the child from Ike's arms and stood. "Goodnight, Ike," she said, a smile on her face.

"Wait a minute, Mia," Ike grabbed her shoulder and stopped her before she could get any further. "Um..." he searched for the words he wanted to say. "What does this make us now?"

Mia was still smiling. "Well," she began, "you're the father of my child. And we're not married." She glanced down at the ground. "Maybe, we could fix that?" She looked back up at Ike hopefully.

Ike smiled at the woman he had always loved. "I think that would be a good idea. Where's the nearest church?" he laughed.

Mia also giggled, bouncing Erin up and down in her arms. "We'll talk about it more tomorrow," she said, grinning in that cute way she always did.

"Ah, come on, Neph!" A green-haired woman with a helmet on stepped out of the fort then, followed by a drunken Gatrie. Gatrie was the flirt of the mercenaries, never stopping his advances until he'd succeeded in wooing a lady. He had been targeting Nephenee, one of the mercenaries' top sentinels, for almost two weeks now.

"Gatrie, I said NO!" Nephenee yelled back. Then she turned to Ike, smiling brightly. "Oh, I heard you were here! Welcome back!" While she was speaking to Ike, Gatrie had come up from behind her and pinched her in a most unpleasant spot. "Hey!" she squeaked, turning to face Gatrie, who was simply smiling in satisfaction. Nephenee didn't waste any time in giving him a straight punch to the nose.

"Gatrie!" Ike shouted his name. "Have some manners, will you?" He turned to Mia and began to laugh. "He hasn't changed a bit."

"No, he hasn't," Mia agreed. Gatrie had retreated inside the fort now, groaning with pain and both hands covering his face. Nephenee waited until he was out of sight, then reluctantly followed after him, muttering curse words under her breath.

"Well," Ike sighed, yawning. "I'm pretty tired."

"Yeah, me too," Mia said. Then she got an idea. "Ike, you're welcome to stay in my room, you know."

"Really?" Ike asked. He liked the idea, but he didn't know what the others would think of it.

"Sure," Mia answered. "You do want to get married, don't you?" she laughed. "I mean, it only makes sense since we already have a child together."

Ike nodded his head. "Okay. Thank you, Mia."

"You're welcome," Mia said, taking Ike's hand in her own. She lead him into the fort, constantly looking back and smiling. "My room is on the third floor," she told him, beginning to walk up a large flight of stairs. Then she stopped suddenly, turning fully around. "Ike," she said softly. "I was wondering, if maybe we could-"

Ike pressed his lips against hers then, cutting her off. The sensation felt just like he remembered. Mia's lips were warm, and they tasted oddly sweet. They stayed locked for several seconds, and eventually it was Erin's crying that forced them to pull apart. They both were breathing heavily, gazing into each other's eyes. "We should get to bed now," Ike spoke after a while. "I think Erin is tired."

Mia nodded, still completely numb from the kiss. "Yeah," she managed to say. "We should."

* * *

The silver-haired queen of Daein sat alone in the throne room of her castle. She spoke silently to herself, as she often did when no one was around. Her husband was out at the moment, and he'd been gone all day. It was late at night now, and the queen was beginning to worry. "He never stays out this late," she said aloud to herself. She wrung her hands nervously, wondering if something happened to him. "No, this isn't right! I have to find him!" she said, getting up from her throne. She ran down a small set of steps, picking up the skirt of her long, maroon dress as she did so.

"Queen Micaiah! Where are you going?" one of the guards asked her once she got to the large castle door. "You can't wander the city this late at night!"

"Sothe is still out there!" she retorted. "I'm going to look for him." Without their permission, she pushed open the door and ran outside into the night.

"Queen Micaiah!" both guards shouted in unison, but she was too far away now.

Micaiah wandered the dark streets of Nevassa, Daein's capital city, anxiously looking around for her husband. She kept hearing shuffling noises behind her, and was constantly glancing over her shoulder. Her breathing picked up as she walked down a dark alley. She had checked almost every corner of the city, and this alley was one of the last places she had to look. Micaiah couldn't help but feel a strange presence about it, and then she realized why. It was the very same alley where she had met Sothe so many years ago. "Sothe?" she called out, though softly. "Sothe, are you back here?" She walked down the alley slowly, listening carefully for the slightest sound. A faint cough was heard from around the corner, and Micaiah ran towards it.

"Mi-Micaiah?" a low, gruff voice asked. Micaiah swiftly turned the corner, and there was Sothe, lying on the cold ground. His right hand was clutching his dagger, while his left hand covered a spot on his side. He coughed again, and Micaiah could see a small pool of blood trickle from of his mouth.

"Sothe!" she burst out, sprinting towards her husband. She knelt down beside him and lifted him onto her lap. His hand momentarily fell from his side, revealing a deep gash. "Oh goddesses!" Micaiah gasped, immediately putting her own hand over the wound. "What's happened to you?"

Sothe took in large, painful gulps of air. "I...I was..." he began to speak, but erupted into coughing once more. Micaiah pushed his hair back so she could look into his eyes. "I was attacked," he finally managed to choke out.

"By who?" Micaiah inquired. She cradled Sothe in her arms much like she had done when he was younger. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't bear to see him in this much pain.

"By a...a beast laguz," Sothe uttered through gritted teeth. "He knocked me over...and tore me up pretty bad." When he said this, Micaiah noticed another gash on his arm, but it obviously didn't hurt as much as his side.

Micaiah saw the impending danger in the situation, but she didn't have to time to question it. Not now. Right now, she needed to help Sothe. "Lie back and be still," she told him calmly. Sothe obeyed, knowing she was going to use her Sacrifice ability to heal him. She placed her hands on both wounds, and a soft blue light emanated from them. Sothe relaxed his muscles as he felt her gentle healing powers at work. Within a matter of seconds, he felt better than he ever had.

"Thank...goodnesss...Sothe..." Micaiah's voice trailed off as she collapsed on top of her husband. Sacrifice was an incredible blessing, but it left her so weak. She was giving up her own health in the process, after all.

Sothe scooped her delicate body up in his arms and got to his feet. "Let's get you home now," he whispered to her, running his finger along her youthful, flawless face.

Once Sothe returned to the castle with Micaiah in his arms, he brought her straight up to their bedroom. He laid her down gently on their bed, pulling the covers up around her. He changed into his nightclothes, then quietly joined her. He had just settled in for sleep, when he heard her voice next to him.

"Sothe?" she asked, though her speech was rather slurred. She turned to face him, putting her hand on his arm.

"What is it, Micaiah?" Sothe asked in return. He moved in closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

Micaiah yawned and shook her head as if it would make her tiredness go away. "I wanted to tell you something when you came home today," she said, still a bit lethargic. "It's kind of important."

"Alright," Sothe nodded. "What is it?" He sat up against the headboard of the bed, and Micaiah scooted herself onto his lap.

"I saw something today," she told him. "With my foresight, I mean." Sothe nodded his head again, and she smiled at him. "Remember how I told you I wasn't feeling so well the other day?"

"Yes," Sothe replied, wondering where this was going.

"Well, this afternoon I received an image in my head. It was of you and I. We were standing in the hall just outside this room. And we were...holding a child," Micaiah said softly.

Sothe just stared at her for a moment, trying to make sense of what he heard. "Micaiah," he gasped. "Are you saying...that we're having a baby?" Micaiah nodded, and she swore she'd never seen Sothe smile so big.

"A boy," she added, laughing tenderly. "We're having a boy."

"Oh, Micaiah!" Sothe beamed, embracing her warmly. "This is wonderful news!" He pulled her face towards his, and kissed her devotedly. She threw her arms around him in response, and ran her fingers through his hair. They pulled away reluctantly, knowing they both needed rest.

"Goodnight, Sothe," Micaiah whispered, lying down in the bed again. She closed her eyes and was immediately welcomed by sleep.

Sothe smiled at his wife, and bent down to kiss her forehead. "Goodnight, Micaiah." He adjusted his pillow and laid his head upon it. It took him a little longer to fall asleep, but he eventually did.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay! Chapter 3 is finally up! It only took me like a week haha! I really hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! I worked really hard on it, and it's pretty long! I kept getting distracted while I was writing so that's why it took a while. I might be taking a short break from this story for a while now though to focus on my other two that desperately need to be updated. Holy crap. This is a lot of work. Never let it be said that I didn't suffer for my art! (Guess that's what I get for attempting to write three stories all at once! :P) Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter! Not sure when chapter 4 will be up, but hopefully not too long from now. As usual, follow, favorite, and review! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All characters you recognize belong to Nintendo/Intelligent Systems.**

The nighttime air was very calm and relaxing, and the now smoldering fire still allowed the tactician enough light to read. He figured it would probably be best to brush up on his wind magic again, since he hadn't actually performed a spell in months. Titania had tried to get him to come inside the fort, but he'd simply shaken his head. She knew it was probably smarter to leave him alone after that. He read through his tome diligently, but he kept getting distracted by something. Or rather, someone. Eventually, he became frustrated, and threw the book on the ground. "Damn it!" he cursed softly to himself. "Why did she have to do that?" He stood from the log he was sitting on and began to pace nonchalantly back and forth.

"Troubles, Soren?" Soren's eyes darted towards the voice. Mist was standing before him on the opposite side of the fire. She was wearing a white floor length nightgown, and her reddish-brown hair was a little messy.

"No. What about you? Couldn't sleep?" Soren casually bent over to pick up his book and sat back down on the log.

"Right," Mist answered, walking around the fire towards him. "You're still dressed, Soren," she pointed out, taking a seat next to him. "Haven't you even been inside yet?"

"I'm not tired," Soren replied simply, opening the book again. This time, however, he was only pretending to read, scanning the pages entirely too fast for anyone to believe he was actually contemplating the words.

"So, you've just been sitting out here all by yourself?" Mist asked. Then she looked down at his book. "How can you even read in this horrible light?"

"I have well-trained eyes," Soren answered dully. An awkward silence followed after that, and he sighed. "Mist, you don't have to sit out here and keep me company."

Mist frowned. "I'm sorry. I just saw you from my window and thought you might be lonely." She bowed her head and twiddled her thumbs. Then she turned to face Soren. "Doesn't all this alone time ever get to you?" she asked.

"Actually, I find that this 'alone time' is my greatest solace in the world," Soren told her, his head still in the book.

Mist scoffed at this. "Soren, why are you always so-"

"Rude?" Soren interrupted her. He set his book off to the side and stared at the fire, which was now only embers.

"I was going to say mysterious, but that works too," Mist smirked. "The truth is, there's much I don't know about you."

"And you won't ever need to know!" Soren concluded, getting a bit angry. Then he calmed himself down, inhaling a deep breath of air. "I don't share with just anyone."

Mist found that her feelings were immensely hurt by this comment. "But, we've known each other for a long time, Soren."

Soren sighed painfully. "Isn't it enough that you know one major trait of mine already?" He turned to Mist and looked her in the eyes. Those amazing, spellbinding, blue eyes.

"No," Mist said. "And if it makes you feel better, I never thought you being a Branded was so bad." She continued on. "Ike says that we're all people, no matter the color of our hair, or if we have wings or tails, or even mixed blood. We're all one family." She gently put her hand on Soren's leg, and he flinched a little at the touch. "I know you've had a rough past, and I don't pretend to know why. But I can promise you that I'll always be here for you. No matter what."

Soren was lost in her eyes then, truly thinking about what she had said. _I did promise Ike I would be more open. _He thought to himself. "Mist," he spoke softly, now facing the fire. "I've been betrayed many times in my life. I do trust you, more than you'll ever know. But I need you to promise me you'll never hurt me. Never."

"Of course, Soren," she promised. "I would never want to hurt you. You're too special." She smiled and moved her hand up to his face, caressing his cheek. Soren moved his hand there as well, initially to pull hers away. But something stopped him from doing so, and his hand just rested there on top of hers. "You should come inside now. It's getting cold." As if on cue, the fire had completely gone out with a sudden gust of wind. Mist stood and held her hand out to Soren. He slowly grabbed it, and Mist latched on tight. So tight, it almost hurt. But Soren found that he didn't mind at all. The two of them walked hand in hand back to the fort, and Soren realized that his face felt very hot for the first time in his life.

* * *

"Is that all you got, Boyd?" Nephenee asked playfully as the two of them sparred. "Y'all are a bit slow today, aren't you?" she laughed, twirling her practice lance in her hand.

A very surprised Boyd had been knocked onto the ground, and he slowly propped himself up on his elbows. "I must be having an off day," he insisted. "You never beat me!" He picked himself up off the ground and swung his wooden axe at her, but she simply moved out of the way, and his axe slammed hard into the grass.

"Forget it, Boyd!" she teased. "You ain't got nothin on me!" She took another stab at him, causing him to once again fall backwards onto the ground. "That's three times in a row now," she boasted, smiling proudly.

"Hey, Neph!" Mia's cheery voice called out to her, as she ran towards the two of them. "How about you spar with me now?" Mia received a 'you're kidding' look from Nephenee. Boyd also stared at her like she had completely lost her mind.

"Mia, y'all haven't picked up a sword since that little one of yours was born," Nephenee pointed out. "Don't you think you're a bit rusty?"

Mia smiled at her. "Maybe, but that doesn't mean I can't kick your butt!" She untied her practice sword from her belt and readied her stance.

"Oh, it's on now!" Nephenee jeered. "I'm gonna be all over you like locusts in a wheat field!" Nephenee raised her lance and ran towards her opponent head on. Mia saw this coming, however, and dove out of the way. She then proceeded to attack Nephenee from behind, prodding her in the back with her blunt, wooden sword. Nephenee turned and attempted another attack, but Mia blocked her. Nephenee pushed harder against Mia's sword, trying to make her lose her grip on it. Mia had to use all the strength she had in her, but she was finally able to push Nephenee back. The force caused Nephenee to faulter a bit, but she didn't lose her balance completely. "Wow, Mia," Nephenee laughed. "Seems I've underestimated you."

"To be quite honest, Neph," Mia began, "I'm not sure how I did that!" The two laughed momentarily, then the fight was back on. Nephenee continued to thrust her lance at Mia, who kept blocking her attacks. Their sparring session continued for almost a half hour, and they had both been knocked down twice. The two women were breathing heavily, and their strength was beginning to die down.

"I ain't gonna let you win, Mia," Nephenee said, the expression on her face seeming like she actually wanted to hurt her.

"We'll see about that!" Mia replied. Then they both raised their weapons at the same time, once again colliding with each other. Nephenee pushed hard, determined not to let Mia defeat her. Mia pushed slightly harder though, and eventually, the unsuspecting Nephenee was thrown onto the ground. Mia jumped up and down happily. "I won! I told you I'd kick your butt!" She then extended a hands towards Nephenee, and the sentinel grabbed it gratefully.

Once Nephenee was back on her feet, she shook Mia's hand. "That was some mighty fine swordplay, Mia," she congratulated. "You're not rusty at all!"

Mia smiled. "Thanks, Neph. It's good to know that I've still got it after all this time." They both laughed then, and Nephenee looked up at the bright sun.

"Think it's dinner time?" she asked, placing a hand above her eyes to shield them from the light.

Mia nodded. "Yeah, I think so." They both walked back to the fort then, joking and laughing about the fight.

* * *

The mercenaries all ate their lunch ravenously. They'd been training extremely hard that morning, as Titania had forewarned them. Despite their exhaustion, they were all chatting happily with each other. Oscar, Boyd, and Rolf were teasing each other, arguing about which one of them was the best brother. Mia and Nephenee were telling Titania and Ilyana of their spar. Titania seemed very interested, but Ilyana was paying them no attention, rather she was scarfing down her food voraciously.

Ike and Soren sat beside Zihark and Gatrie, who were each telling humorous stories of things that had occurred while they were gone. Soren tried to be engaged in the conversation, but his eyelids were heavy and his head kept drooping down to his chest. He had gotten absolutely no sleep last night, and he knew it was no one's fault but his own. After Mist had shown him to his room, he lied down on the bed and tried to fall asleep, but it wasn't working out for him. Instead, he'd decided to stay awake all night and sketch something on his note pad. He remembered how Mist had looked when she stood before him in her nightgown, so that was what he drew. The picture turned out breathtaking, of course, as his drawings always did. He tuned out Zihark's story, and began to think about Mist. What she had told him last night was true. She was such a free spirit, never really thinking about all the bad things that could happen to a person. He had actually debated giving the drawing to Mist, but decided against it.

"So, Ike, what's it like being a father?" Zihark asked, his story now over. Soren managed to pull himself out of his trance and join the conversation again.

"It's different," Ike said. Then he laughed. "Erin was up half the night crying." Ike wanted to take responsibility as her father, and he told Mia that he would attend to every cry.

Gatrie chuckled. "Yeah, Mia's been pretty exhausted lately. But she seems like her old self today," he said, glancing over at the women. They were laughing loudly at something Nephenee had said.

Mist walked down the stairs and into the mess hall then, holding baby Erin in her arms. Mia saw her and got up from the table. "Thank you so much for watching her this morning, Mist," she said graciously.

"It wasn't a problem, Mia," Mist replied. "She is my niece, after all." She looked down at the baby and smiled. Mia held out her arms and Mist gently placed the child in them.

"She's so precious!" Titania beamed as Mia sat back down at the table. The women all immediately began to giggle over the baby, talking to her in high-pitched voices. The men looked at them and began shaking their heads, though they couldn't hide their smiles.

"Look at her! She's cute enough to eat!" Ilyana trilled, causing everyone to stare at her uneasily. Mia slowly moved the baby in closer to her chest. "Um, sorry," Ilyana apologized, smiling guiltily.

Mia rose from her seat and brought the baby over to Ike. "I don 't want to hog her," she said, laughing. Ike smiled and held out his arms for Mia to place Erin in them. The baby began to cry a bit, but stopped and giggled upon seeing someone's pale face. Her green eyes sparkled and her smile was vivid.

"Hey Soren," Ike said to the sage sitting next to him. "I think she likes you."

Soren could do nothing but give Ike a bewildered look. "Ike, she's obviously smiling at that tapestry on the wall over there." He pointed over to the fabric scroll behind him, but Erin's eyes never left his face. She just kept on giggling. _Blast. That didn't work._

Ike looked down at his child. "No, I think she's looking at you," he snickered. "I think she wants you to hold her."

Before Soren could do any form of protesting, Ike had positioned Erin in his arms. The little child smiled up at him, still laughing in the cutest way possible. She reached out with one of her tiny hands and began tugging and pulling at Soren's robes. Before he even realized it, a broad smile had plastered itself onto his face. Soren was filled with a happiness that he'd never experienced before. He held out his hand to Erin, and she gripped one of his fingers tightly. Soren had been unsure about the child just last night, but now, he was wondering why he ever was in the first place. She was so beautiful in every way. Amidst all this joy, however, Soren couldn't help but feel a small pang of jealousy towards Ike. He had a family and they were immensely happy together. But Soren still had nothing. He handed Erin back to Ike a few moments later, wishing he were blessed with such fortune.

* * *

After lunch, the mercenaries all went back outside to resume training. Nephenee had challenged Mia to a rematch, which she gladly agreed to. Oscar and Zihark also decided to spar, leaving Boyd paired with Gatrie. Ike went up to his and Mia's room to put Erin down for her nap. When he came back downstairs, he was stopped by Titania.

"Ike," she began, still mulling over what she was going to say. "Your father put you in charge of these mercenaries after he died." Her voice was a little soft and she looked down at the floor. "I think it's only right that you take that authority back."

"Are you sure, Titania?" Ike asked, a little confused. "You really want to do this?"

Titania nodded confidently. "Yes, Ike. I've had my fun." She chuckled a bit. "I'd much rather report to you, anyway."

Shinon happened to be walking around the corner just as Titania said this, and was furious with what he heard. "What?!" he burst out, causing both Ike and Titania to look at him. "Titania, you can't be serious! He _left_ us! And you're willing to give him his job back, just like that?!"

"Shinon, please try to understand," Titania tried to calm him. "Ike's always been our commander and we respect him."

Shinon scoffed. "Well, I don't. This is such bullshit!" He turned away from them and briskly walked away. "I'm done here," he muttered under his breath.

"Shinon, wait!" Ike called after him, but Shinon didn't stop. He ran into Rolf on his way out the door and nearly knocked him off his feet.

"Hey Shinon!" the young archer chirped. "We should go practice!"

"Sorry, kid," Shinon said, though he wasn't sure his apology meant anything. "You won't be practicing with me anymore." He continued out the door.

"Why not, Uncle Shinon?" Rolf asked. He had always referred to Shinon as his uncle, ever since the older marksman agreed to take him under his wing. Rolf was actually one of the few people in the group Shinon was close to, besides Gatrie.

Shinon sighed but he kept walking. "I'm leaving, Rolf," he said. "Goodbye."

"But-but," Rolf stuttered. "No, wait, Uncle Shinon! Don't leave." Rolf's face was soon covered in tears, as he helplessly stared after his teacher, not knowing if he would ever see him again.

**Yay! I hope people are more satisfied with this chapter! I tried to fix as much as I could. Cormag-Ravenstaff, this is directly aimed at you: I fixed Neph's accent. Are ya happy now? :P**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, it's certainly been a while, huh? Really sorry this chapter is so late. I've been trying to dole out the time I spend on my stories evenly, but in the end I decided to put one of them on hold. Don't worry! Not this one! :P That should give me more time to focus on this story, since as of right now, it's my most popular one. Yay for Fire Emblem! :) So anyway, this chapter may seem a tad boring, and I apologize for that. I suck at writing action-y stuff haha! Unfortunately for me, this story will end up containing A LOT of action in the future! So please bear with me! And maybe give me some tips on how to write decent action sequences? :P Haha okay, enough of that! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Chapter 5 will be posted soon! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All characters you recognize belong to Nintendo/Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

The halls of Castle Gallia seemed to lack the commonplace liveliness that they normally had. Only half the torches on the walls were lit, making it appear, not to mention feel, much darker than usual. The Laguz who resided there moved around like zombies, not even smiling as they walked past another. It was as if a dark cloud shrouded the entire kingdom, but Ranulf knew better.

There were many who hadn't a clue as to why Gallia suddenly became so aberrant. Many simply just followed orders and did as their king advised. Some of them were people who Ranulf knew personally. His good friends, Kyza, Giffca, Lethe, and Lyre were all blinded by the foolishness, as were many others he knew. He seemed to be the only one who still had some coherency. Normally, he would never think to question the king's judgment, but this was outrageous. Everyone else may have succumbed to Skrimir's false promises, but he was smarter than that.

He was on his way to the throne room to talk with the king now, hoping he could convince him to change his mind. If he could not, then the peace would once again be lost. He traveled swiftly down the dim halls, ignoring those who gave him an icy look. It was a well known fact by now that he didn't like the way things were going, and almost everyone in the castle scorned him for it.

"Your Majesty!" he announced as he pushed the heavy doors to the throne room open. He made his way over to stand in front of the throne that Skrimir sat in, and put his right hand over his heart.

"Ah, Ranulf," Skrimir began. "I suspected I would be seeing you. You were very angry after our meeting this afternoon." Skrimir drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne.

"Your Majesty, with all due respect, I must ask you to make sense of what you're about to do," Ranulf was half begging now.

Skrimir's fingers stopped their tedious motion and he looked up at Ranulf with bitter eyes. He got up from his throne and began to walk slow circles around the smaller cat. "My friend, have you never wondered what it would be like if the beast tribe ruled over all of Tellius?" he asked, his voice sounding like that of a snake. "Why, we would never be subject to Beorcs' mockery ever again!"

"The Beorc are learning to understand us, Your Majesty," Ranulf countered, a hint of chagrin in his voice. "They only need time."

"I have given them much more time than necessary!" Skrimir growled. "They will soon learn not to mess with us Laguz!"

"Your Majesty, please. I beg you to reconsider! It will only get worse if we declare war on every Beorc-governed country of Tellius!" Ranulf pleaded.

Just then, the door to the throne room swung open again. Kyza, one of Gallia's commanding officers, stalked through it. "Your Majesty! I have news to report!" he walked up to Skrimir and gave the salute.

"Kyza, was your mission successful?" Skrimir asked, stepping over to him.

Kyza sighed and looked down at the floor. "No, I'm afraid not, Your Majesty. He has been healed."

"What?!" Skrimir snarled. "This is an outrage!" He stormed over to his throne and sat down again. "How has this happened? Did you not gravely injure him?"

Kyza scratched at his ear. "I thought I did, but apparently it wasn't enough. She found him."

Ranulf silently let out a relieved sigh and bowed his head. _Bless you, Micaiah. _

Skrimir seemed to ponder this for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "Hmm...then it seems we must go right for the throat," he said.

Ranulf's eyes widened. "Your Majesty! Surely you're not suggesting that we murder the queen of Daein!" He could no longer hide his objections. He would voice his opinion on the subject, whether Skrimir liked it or not.

"Well, we will get nowhere if she's left running around healing everyone," Skrimir mused. "Kyza, you will go back to Daein and perform the deed. You may choose another to accompany you to ensure your success," Skrimir commanded.

Kyza saluted him once again. "Understood, Your Majesty. Giffca and I will depart in the morning." He turned to leave, but Ranulf grabbed his arm.

"Kyza, don't you know what you're doing?" he whispered, so as not to draw attention to himself. His eyes looked as if they had no hope left in them.

Kyza sighed. "I only obey the king, Ranulf. You should do the same, lest your life be taken from you." With that, he left the throne room to go find Giffca.

"Ranulf," Skrimir said. "You are dismissed. Go, and leave me be."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Ranulf conceded, a defeated look on his face. He began the long walk back to his living quarters, wondering how he would go about stopping this. Once he reached his room, he opened the door and immediately flopped down on his bed. "Think, Ranulf," he said aloud to himself. "The life of an innocent woman is at stake." He closed his eyes and willed a thought to come to him. "I cannot do this on my own. I'll only be thrown in the dungeons, just like Caineghis..." Ranulf's eyes closed tightly at the thought of their previous ruler. Skrimir was certainly abusing his power as the new king, and Caineghis didn't like it. But since he was no longer king, he had no power in the situation. Not long after that, Skrimir ordered every Beorc resident of Gallia to be imprisoned. Ranulf had simply stood by and watched the horror of it all, but he couldn't do a thing about it. If he acted, he would be considered a traitor. But at the moment, he knew that if it had to come to that, he would be more than willing to risk his life attempting to put a stop to this madness.

* * *

"I cannot describe it any further. It was a large, gray tiger laguz. That's about as much as I can tell you," Sothe said. He and Micaiah were standing outside on their balcony, staring up at the night sky. The stars seemed to dance around the midnight dome, creating a sense of serenity.

"It all seems too surreal," Micaiah pondered softly. "Why would a Laguz attack you?" A little over two weeks had passed since she found Sothe battered and bruised in the alley, and she hadn't pressed him to give her details. But now she believed it was absolutely necessary. "What could possibly have been his motive?" She seemed to be getting frustrated, and she gripped the rail sternly. Sothe noticed her upset and placed his hand over hers.

"Easy, now," he said, pulling her slight body closer to his. She leaned into his shoulder and rested her head there, wishing the two of them could remain like that forever. After a while, Sothe spoke again. "What will the baby be like?" he asked, trying to draw her mind away from the Laguz.

Micaiah looked up at him, rather confused. "Hmm?"

"I mean, will he or she be...you know...Branded?" Sothe's question was met with a heavy sigh, and he immediately wished he hadn't asked it.

"I don't know, Sothe," Micaiah answered him honestly. Her head fell back against his shoulder. "Let's just worry about that when the time comes."

Sothe nodded his head, gazing up at the stars again. Micaiah behaved differently since they were married. She no longer flinched at the word "branded." They both knew that he would die long before her, but she didn't seem to dwell on that fact as much anymore. Sothe supposed she was just grateful for the time she would get to spend with him, and didn't want to waste it with worry. "Alright," he said, long after her last words were spoken.

Micaiah suddenly felt a chill run through her body and she gathered her arms around her waist. There had been no wind. The night was as calm and still as ever, but she couldn't ignore the freezing sensation. Sothe looked down at her, taking notice of the fact that she was shivering. He put both of his arms around her in an attempt to warm her up. She lost her footing then and slipped out of his embrace, falling to the ground.

"Micaiah!" Sothe cried, immediately kneeling down beside her. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Sothe," Micaiah whispered through clenched teeth. Her eyes were closed and her lips quivered a little. "Something terrible is about to happen..."

As soon as she had said it, screams of terror were heard from the bottom floor of the castle. Sothe quickly helped Micaiah to her feet and they rushed back inside their bedroom.

"Help! Beast Laguz!" The scream was heard again, and they both recognized it to be their good friend Laura.

"Micaiah, stay here!" Sothe said as he turned to run out of the room. He soon heard footsteps behind him, however, and stopped dead in his tracks.

"You won't be alone this time," Micaiah told him as she grabbed her light tome from the bedside table. Sothe opened his mouth to protest, but Micaiah spoke again. "Come on! We don't have much time!" She ran out of the room then, leaving a bewildered Sothe trailing behind her.

When they reached the bottom floor, they headed straight for the banquet hall, where Laura's shrieks seemed to be emanating from. Upon entering, they saw the small priestess huddled up into a corner, and there was a lion and a tiger Laguz pursuing her.

"Leave her alone!" Sothe yelled, causing the large cats to turn their heads. The tiger gave a curt nod to the lion, and they both shifted into their human forms. "Kyza? Giffca? What's the meaning of all this?" Sothe asked, and by the sound of his voice, he meant business. "You were the one who attacked me the other night, weren't you?" The question was aimed at Kyza, who stood not ten feet in front of him.

"I was merely obeying orders, Sothe," Kyza answered, his mouth curling up into a wry smile. Laura had scrambled to her feet to stand beside Micaiah.

"Orders," Sothe repeated. "From whom?"

"Who else? His Majesty Skrimir, the king of Gallia," Kyza answered. "Now then, Giffca and I have some business to take care of." The pair slowly began to approach the three Daeins, getting ready to transform once again. "Kill Micaiah," Kyza muttered to Giffca. "I will handle Sothe."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Sothe yelled, standing in front of his wife. He drew his knife from his belt and assumed a fighting stance. "Both of you, get yourselves someplace safe!" he said to Micaiah and Laura.

"Come, Micaiah!" Laura grabbed her arm, but the queen would not budge. Instead, she opened her light tome and began conjuring up a spell.

"_Ekarif Magae Teiodasto Ieraka_!" Suddenly, the banquet hall was filled with a blinding light. In the confusion, Sothe was able to slice Kyza underneath his belly. He threw him on the ground, causing him to transform back to his human state. Giffca did also, and lay on the floor curled up into a ball, his hands covering his eyes.

"You...you may have...won...this time...Sothe," Kyza uttered, clutching his wound. "But Skrimir...will have his...vengeance..." Giffca gathered up enough strength to aid Kyza, and he picked him up off of the ground. The two laguz hastily retreated, but not before Giffca snarled at Sothe. The three of them watched as he carried his comrade out of the castle and into the dark streets of Nevassa.

"Vengeance," Micaiah said softly. "What does he mean?"

Sothe caught his breath and made his way over to her. He immediately wrapped her in a tight hug, thanking the goddesses that she was still alive. "I have no idea," he said. "But he wanted us dead."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alright, chapter 5 is done! Finally! Haha I stressed out a bit while writing this one cause I couldn't figure out what I wanted to happen. Eventually I was able to gather my thoughts and make a pretty decent chapter out of it, though. :P If you likey, remember to follow, favorite, and or review! Seriously, it makes my day when I get those emails! Yep, that's how pathetic my life is pretty much! :) Hope you enjoy this chapter. See ya in chapter 6!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All characters you recognize belong to Nintendo/Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

"It's your move, Ike," Soren said. He and Ike were sitting beneath a shady tree outside the fort, locked in a rather strenuous battle of wits. They were playing Soren's favorite game: chess. Soren studied Ike's expression carefully as he pondered his next move. His face looked a bit shiny due to the fact that he was covered in sweat. Ike was usually not so competitive when it came to chess; that was Soren's job. But he had always wanted to beat Soren at his own game. He examined the board. Soren's bishop was very close to his queen, and in danger of being taken. Ike had one knight left, and decided he would move it to take one of Soren's rooks. He smiled boastingly as he knocked over the black tower-like piece.

"Well, you've got no rooks, one bishop, one knight, three pawns, your king, and your queen left, Soren," Ike gloated. "I think I'll beat you after all!"

Soren's face held a dire expression as he scanned the board, then twisted into a satisfied smile, which he quickly hid from his opponent. "I fear this move will be my last, Ike," Soren said in a defeated tone. Then his hand reached for his bishop. His smirk returned to his face. "You've left your king wide open. Checkmate."

Ike's eyes grew wide as he stared at the board. Soren's bishop stood right next to his king. "How did I miss that?" he asked incredulously. "That's not fair!" he pouted.

"All's far in love and war, Ike. You should know that by now," Soren said, still smiling.

"Gah! Well, I guess I'll never win a game against you," Ike sighed. He helped his friend pick up the pieces and put the board away. They were silent for a moment, then Ike decided to make conversation again. "It sure is a hot one today," he said.

Soren nodded. "Indeed." He put the last piece into the box and set the board inside as well. "Hopefully there will be some rain in the near future. There hasn't been since we returned, and that was nearly a month ago." He stood up and grabbed the chess box.

Ike stood as well and leaned back against the tree. He looked at Soren, dressed in his usual black robes on perhaps the hottest day in years. "Hey Soren?" he said.

Soren turned to look at him. "Hmm?"

"Aren't you a little warm? Maybe you want to take off your robes and change into something more comfortable?" Ike figured he would say no, but he still had to try.

Soren simply shook his head. "Ike, I'm fine. Heat like this does not bother me." He walked back into the fort then to put the game away.

"Come to think of it, I've never even seen Soren sweat before," Ike said aloud to himself. He walked to center of the camp where the fire pit was. He saw Boyd and Rolf sitting on one of the logs. Rolf was wrapped in his older brother's arms, sniffling. _It's been almost a month_. Ike thought to himself. _He's still upset? _

"Come on, Rolfie," Boyd said cheerfully, trying to comfort his brother. "You weren't this sad the first time he left."

Rolf raised his head to look at Boyd. "But that was before he was my teacher," he said. "I didn't really think too much of it then, because I didn't know him real well." His voice became quieter. "He's a good person, Boyd. No matter what people say."

Boyd sighed. "I know, I know." He patted Rolf's back, perhaps a little too hard. Ike was touched by the scene. Even though Shinon hated him, he still held a lot of respect for the archer.

"Hey guys," Ike said, taking a seat on the log next to them. "How are you today?"

"I'm alright," Boyd answered. "But this little twerp isn't."

"Hey!" Rolf whined, his tears subsiding. "You'd be sad too if your teacher just up and left!"

"At first!" Boyd countered. "But he's been gone for a while now, Rolf. It's time to get up the courage and accept that fact." He patted his brother's back again, softer this time.

Rolf breathed in deeply. "I know. It's just been so lonely without him. Target practice isn't the same." He wanted to cry again, but held back his tears.

"Well, maybe Ilyana could practice with you?" Ike suggested. She wasn't an archer, but mages needed practice with hitting their targets, too.

Boyd chuckled a bit then. "Yeah, if she ever stops stuffing her face!" Ike and Rolf couldn't help but laugh as well.

"I heard that!" a certain lavender-haired mage said from behind them. "Did you not see me talking to Zihark less than ten feet away?"

Boyd suddenly found himself at a loss for words. "N-no!" he sputtered. "I mean, I was only joking, Ilyana!"

"Right," she huffed, then turned to walk away. Boyd couldn't help but stare at her long, slender legs. It was a wonder how she could eat so much yet still be so thin.

"Dang," he said. "She's a catch."

Ike laughed. "Well, why don't you go after her? You two have a lot in common, after all. You both live to eat."

Boyd shook his head. "Nah. Zihark can have her. Besides, I don't think I'm financially stable enough to support her, with all the food she eats," he laughed.

"Boyd! Rolf!" Oscar's voice called from inside the fort. "Come help me with dinner!"

"What? Why us?" Rolf complained. "Can't you find anyone else?"

"No. Mist is watching Erin. Mia and Neph are sparring. Gatrie's...actually, I'm not sure what Gatrie's doing. Titania went to Melior to pick up Rhys, and I'm not even going to bother with asking Soren."

"What's Rhys doing in Melior?" Ike asked. He had barely seen the group's primary healer since he came back, only a few times to say hi and bye.

"He's receiving a special invitation from Queen Elincia," Oscar answered. "We won't know what it's about until he returns."

"Ah," Ike said, nodding his head. He also hadn't seen Elincia since he'd returned, and wondered if she even knew he was here.

"Now come on, you two! Get in here!" Oscar called. "Or I'll make you wash dishes tonight as well!"

At that comment, Boyd and Rolf both scrambled to their feet. "Coming!" they shouted simultaneously.

"Hurry!" Ike said, laughing. Boyd and Rolf tried knocking each other over as they raced into the fort. "I really missed those three."

* * *

Dinner was delicious that night. Oscar prepared his legendary beef stew, which had always been Ike's favorite. All of them sat around the table, chatting with each other and enjoying the meal. Everyone except for Soren, who only stirred his stew with his spoon. But this was to be expected since Soren was almost never hungry, and no one found it out of the ordinary.

"If I could have everyone's attention please?" Titania's strong voice rang out above all the conversations that were taking place. She looked over at the orange-haired priest that was sitting next to her. "Rhys would like to make the announcement now."

Rhys stood up from his seat. "Thank you, Titania. As you all know, I've recently traveled to Melior," he began. "Elincia sent us a letter a while back saying she requested an audience with one of us, and all of you, well, aside from Ike and Soren, voted that I should be the one to go. Although, I'm not quite sure why," he said, giving his head a timid scratch. "Anyway, the Queen informed me that the nobles of Crimea are hosting a celebration for her twenty-fifth birthday, and she would like for us to come."

"We're going to a party?" Rolf asked, his childish demeanor betraying him. "That's awesome!"

The rest of the mercenaries reacted with just as much enthusiasm, save for Soren, once again. Social gatherings were not really his thing, and he actually pondered asking Ike if he could stay at the fort.

"When is the party?" Mia asked, clearly giddy at the idea. She held Erin in her arms and bounced her up and down on her knee, causing the small child to giggle.

"It's tomorrow night," Rhys answered. "We'll have to leave tomorrow morning to get there on time."

Soren sighed angrily, perhaps a little bit too loud. He hoped no one heard it. _Well, screw that idea_. He thought. "Excuse me," he said aloud, leaving the table. The rest of them just stared after him as he walked up the stairs to his room.

"Huh," Gatrie said. "Wonder what his problem is?"

"What isn't his problem?" Boyd asked, earning a slap from Oscar. "Ow! Hey, what was that for?" He rubbed the back of his head, glaring daggers at his older brother.

"That's no way to treat a fellow mercenary!" Oscar scolded. "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Well, it's true!" Boyd snapped. "He looks at the whole world like it's...pointless or something!"

"Boyd, that's enough!" Mist said sternly. Boyd spun his head around to look at her. She wore an expression that was nothing less than aggravated. "It's not his fault."

Little did they know, Soren had stopped at the top of the stairs, listening to the entire conversation. "Mist," he whispered. "I..." He couldn't finish what he was about to say, even though it was only to himself. He took off running to his room, slamming the door shut with more strength than he knew he had. He leaned up against it on the other side, slowly sinking down to the floor as tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

* * *

"Elincia, thank you so much for letting us stay here," Micaiah told the fellow queen as they sipped tea in Elincia's private quarters. Micaiah, Sothe, and the rest of their group had arrived in Crimea earlier that day for Elincia's party on the day that would follow, and she had kindly offered for them stay in Melior for a few days.

"It's really no trouble at all," Elincia assured her. "It's nice to talk with another queen." She took a sip of her tea, then she changed the subject. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but Laura told me you're pregnant. Is that true?" she asked, a genuine smile on her face.

Micaiah nodded, grinning also. "Yes, that's correct."

"Oh! How exciting! I couldn't help but notice something different about you when you walked in, even before she told me. You're absolutely glowing with good health," Elincia beamed

"Thank you, Elincia," Micaiah said, giggling. One of her hands involuntarily moved down to her stomach, which was only slightly showing signs of pregnancy.

"Geoffrey and I have been trying as well, but we haven't had any luck," Elincia said sadly. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, and looked up at Micaiah's face.

"I'm sure it will happen," she said. "Just give it time."

Elincia nodded and her face brightened. "Thank you, Micaiah. Daein is quite lucky to have you as their queen."

"I could say the same for Crimea," Micaiah said. "And Geoffrey is a very lucky man."

Elincia chuckled. "As is Sothe. We could go on like this all night." She and Micaiah both shared a heartfelt laugh. "Well, it's late," Elincia said after the laughter had died down. "You should be getting to bed now. A woman in your condition needs proper rest."

"I am a little tired," Micaiah agreed. "Goodnight, Elincia." She gave Elincia a friendly hug before she left the room and walked down the hall to her and Sothe's stay room. Sothe was waiting for her at the door.

"I was wondering when all your girl talk in there would be finished," he said, giving her a kiss on her cheek. "I've been waiting for almost an hour."

Micaiah returned the peck he'd given her, but instead placing it on his lips. "I figured I'd enjoy it while I could." She walked inside the room then and began to untie the back of her dress. Sothe closed the door idly, not really knowing what she meant. He moved towards her and placed his hands on hers, which were intently fiddling with the strings of her dress. They immediately stopped moving at his touch.

"What's troubling you, dear?" he asked. "Besides this whole thing with the Laguz."

Micaiah sighed and her hands dropped down to her sides. "That's pretty much it," she responded. She turned around and rested her head upon Sothe's chest. "I just hope the Greil Mercenaries come to the party tomorrow. They need to know about this."

"Did you inform Elincia?" Sothe asked.

Micaiah shook her head. "No. I didn't bring it up. We were having such a nice chat. I didn't want to ruin it," she confessed. Sothe felt Micaiah begin to shake in his arms, and he knew she was about to cry.

"I understand, Micaiah," Sothe said. "Another war is the last thing anyone wants to talk about." He lifted her chin up so she could look into his eyes. "For now, though, let's just get a good night's rest."

Micaiah nodded, smiling ever so slightly. She turned away and began untying her dress once more, allowing Sothe to help her. She reached in her bag for her nightgown and slipped the silken fabric over her body. Sothe turned down the bed and crawled inside, sighing contently at the softness of it.

"We need a bed like this back home," he said, making Micaiah giggle. She finished untying her hair and slid in next to him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Micaiah."

"Mmm, goodnight," she moaned, nestling her head in the crook of his neck. They were both asleep before they even knew it.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Yay! I like when I update this fast! :) Okay, so chapter 6 has arrived! Before I say anything else about it, I'd just like to get something out in the open. If you can help it, PLEASE do not leave anonymous reviews! I like to reply to every single review I get, and if you review as a guest I can't get back to you! My readers are VERY important to me, and I love answering questions that people have! So please just remember that for next time! Alright, I'm through with my ranting now! :P Enjoy this chapter! As usual, follow, favorite, and review! See you guys in chapter 7! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All characters you recognize belong to Nintendo/Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

Titania and Oscar readied their horses the next morning and everyone else packed their things. Queen Elnicia had also offered that they stay the night in Melior so they wouldn't have to travel back to Fort Pinell in the dark. Ike thought this was a good idea, seeing as most of his mercenary company would probably get drunk anyway. It was this very idea that made him think about Shinon. Ike always enjoyed watching him try to communicate with people when he was drunk, which was quite often. He couldn't help himself but laugh, and smiled broadly as he packed his nicest clothes into his bag. Then his smile faded. He wondered if he would ever see the famed archer again. He finished packing his things and walked down the hall to Soren's room. The door was open, and he was quite surprised to see that his friend was not alone.

"Please, Soren?" Mist begged in her pouty voice as she held up purplish robes with golden trim. "I think you'll look great in them! Besides, you need something nice to wear other than what you've got on. It is a party, after all."

"I don't know, Mist," Soren hesitated. "They're a bit too...lavish for my tastes." He took the robes from her and examined them carefully. The collar was embroidered in a paisley design with golden thread. He heaved a deep sigh. "Alright, you win. I'll wear them."

Mist's eyes lit up. "Yay!" she exclaimed, taking the robes from Soren's hands and shoving them into his bag. "You'll be the best-looking one there! I know it!" She wasted no time in giving him a brief hug. Soren felt his face heat up again as he melted into her warm embrace.

"Good morning, Soren. Mist," Ike said from his position in the doorway. Soren's eye grew wide when he saw the commander standing there. Mist turned her head and let out a small gasp. She quickly dropped her arms from Soren's waist and put them back down at her sides.

"Ike! How long have you been standing there?" she complained. She was full on blushing as she glared at her older brother.

Ike laughed. "Not long," he said. "I do have to agree with Mist, though. Purple is definitely your color, Soren." He gave the sage an amused look.

"Very funny, Ike," Soren said flatly. "Meanwhile, have you checked up on the others? Have they finished packing?"

"You're my first stop," Ike responded. "I've yet to see what the others are up to. But I know Mia is done. She and Erin are waiting down in the mess hall."

"I should probably go finish packing as well," Mist said. She gave Soren a small smile before she left the room, and glared icily at Ike once again.

"Glad to see you're in a good mood this morning!" Ike called down the hall after her. He turned back to Soren, and the look on the sage's face was rather serious. "Hey," he said, putting his hand on Soren's shoulder. "What's the matter?"

Soren pursed his lips. It was a while before he spoke. "Ike," he began, looking his friend in the eyes. "You'll probably think this is a foolish question, especially coming from me, but...what's it like to be in love?"

Ike wasn't quite sure what to say. He found himself grinning stupidly at what Soren had just said. "Why do you ask?" he inquired. Then he figured it out. "Do you have feelings for Mist?" Soren stepped away from him then and sat down on his bed. He put his face in his hands and sighed.

"That's my dilemma, Ike," he said. "I mean, I'm not even sure what love feels like. Not this kind, anyway." He flopped over on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Ike sighed and sat down next to his friend. "I guess I'm not really sure what to tell you," he said. "The feeling is great. It lets you know that you have someone really special who cares about you. Someone who will never leave your side. That person is the one you hold closest to your heart, and you never stop loving them. No matter what."

Soren seemed to be in deep thought for a moment. "Would you kill me if I pursued this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "She's your sister, after all."

Ike laughed. "Of course not! In fact, I think you deserve this. Mist is a really nice girl, even though I sometimes call her nasty things," he smirked.

"Well, I can't promise that I'll succeed. I'm not Gatrie," Soren chuckled. He pulled himself back up into a seated position.

"From the way she acts around you, I think she feels the same way," Ike said, smiling.

Soren gave him a hopeful look. "Really?"

"Would I lie to you, Soren?" Ike asked. He slapped a hand on Soren's shoulder once again. "Go for it."

* * *

The Greil Mercenaries arrived at the palace in Melior late in the afternoon. They were early, though. They party was not scheduled to start until the evening. Elincia was standing outside on the steps, waiting to greet them. She waved happily as they came closer into view, but a particular person caught her eye. She squinted as she tried to discern if it was who she thought it was. Upon realizing she was correct, her hands flew to her mouth and she gasped rather loudly. "Ike?" She picked up her skirts and ran down the steps. She couldn't believe her eyes. Everyone told her that Ike vanished, and was never to be seen again. "Ike!" she called to him.

"Hello, Your Majesty," Ike smiled, bowing to her. "Long time, no see."

Elincia found that she had no words to say. "But...they all said..." She was really struggling to speak to this heroic man whom she hadn't seen in ages. "They said you left!"

"Well, I did," Ike said, now feeling a tad guilty for his actions. "But I'm here now. Actually, I've been here for about a month."

Elincia seemed completely stunned. "It's so good to see you!" she beamed, taking his hand. "Please, do come inside," she addressed all of the mercenaries. "Make yourselves at home." She turned to walk back into the palace and Ike followed her, the rest of his company trailing behind him.

Upon entering the castle, they were greeted by even more familiar faces. Sitting in the foyer were Nolan, Leonardo, and Edward, of the original Dawn Brigade. Laura, the kind-hearted healer, was with them also. They were sitting around a large fireplace, discussing something in low tones. From the looks on their faces, it must've been a rather serious conversation. Rolf paid no attention to this, however, and broke the pensive mood.

"Eddie!" he shouted as he ran toward the trueblade. Edward was around his age, and the two of them had bonded quite a bit during the last war. Edward turned his head to see who it was who shouted at him, and the corners of his mouth pulled up into a wide grin.

"Rolf!" He immediately vacated his spot on one of the many sofas in the room and rushed toward the young archer. "Good to see you, buddy!"

"You too, Eddie," Rolf said. He extended his hand to Edward and the plucky swordsman grabbed it, pulling Rolf in for a hug. "How long's it been? Two years?"

"Far too long," Edward replied, his huge grin still visible on his face. "But you know what they say. Better long than never!" he laughed.

"Oh, Edward. You really are no good at clichés."

Everyone turned their heads to the direction of the voice that had just spoken. It belonged to a woman. A woman they all knew very well.

"Come on, Micaiah! Do you really have to rain on my parade all the time?" Edward whined. Micaiah playfully patted him on the head, earning her a rather annoyed look from the trueblade, but she merely giggled.

"Queen Micaiah," Ike addressed her, stepping out in front of the crowd of people. He knelt down and kissed her small, delicate hand.

"No need to be so formal, Ike," Micaiah told him as she helped him off the ground. "I'm the still the same girl you knew from the Goddess's War. Nothing about me has changed." She smiled warmly at him. "Elincia just informed me that you returned."

"Is Sothe here as well?" Ike asked, mentally slapping himself after he realized the ridiculousness of his question.

"Yes, he's upstairs at the moment," Micaiah answered.

"Does she look...different to you?" Mia whispered to Ilyana, who nodded her head in agreement.

"Yes. She looks much prettier since the last time we saw her," the sage whispered back.

"Well then," Elincia rejoined the group gathered in the entry. "If all you girls would like to come with me, we will be getting ready for the party in my chambers."

All the girls, except for Titania, who merely smiled and shook her head, squealed in excitement and followed Elincia up the grand staircase. Micaiah stayed beside Ike for a moment longer, however.

"When you have the time," she began, speaking softer. "I need to speak with you about something. It's very important." She managed a small smile as she turned to walk away. Ike saw that hidden look on her face, though. She was worried.

* * *

When it came time for the party to start, everyone was ushered into the banquet hall. The hall itself was decorated with large orange and pink ribbons and bows. The grand table had many places set. Ike figured there had to be at least a hundred chairs around it. Many other guests had arrived by now, and almost all were people Ike knew or at least recognized. Soren stood beside Ike, scanning the crowds for familiar faces as well, not that he necessarily cared to speak with any of them.

"Oh Goddesses, Soren," Ike said, gripping his best friend's arm. Soren reacted by wincing and using all his strength to pull away. When Ike let his fingernails grow out too long, they could've easily passed as claws of a cat Laguz.

"Ouch!" he yelped. "What's the matter, Ike?" He realized that Ike was staring at a woman not far from them. Soren's red eyes widened and his face took on a look of sheer terror.

"It's...her!" Ike groaned. The woman turned to look at the two men, and both quickly put their heads down, hoping she would overlook them. Unfortunately, this particular woman could not be fooled very easily...

Soren heard the clacking of heels on the stone floor and knew immediately that they'd been compromised. "Fu-"

"IKEY-POO!" she shouted in a sing-song voice as she strolled over to them. "Oh my, it's been so long!" She dramatically raised a hand to her forehead.

"Hello, Aimee," Ike sighed. He realized that this torture could not possibly end soon.

"Oh, and I see you've brought your friend with you," Aimee said, gesturing at Soren. "What was your name again?"

"Soren," the sage answered, bowing to her. "And if I may say so, Miss Aimee, you look truly beautiful this evening. Yes, the color of your dress really brings out your eyes. Every woman in the room must be so very jealous of you-"

"Oh, can it!" Aimee cut him off. "That doesn't work on me anymore, you creep!"

"Damn," Soren said. "It appears I've lost my touch."

"As it so happens, Aimee," Ike began. "I'm in a relationship with someone." He braced himself for the reaction.

"WHAT?!" Aimee bellowed. "How dare you! And to think I was ever interested in you!" She huffed and whirled around for a brief moment, but quickly turned to face them again. "What about you, sage? Are you dating anyone?"

"Excuse me?!" Soren asked incredulously. "I don't care to date the likes of you, Aimee! You're mentally unstable and you desperately need help!" he sneered. Ike could tell that Soren was very flustered now, and if he didn't act fast, some pretty terrible things were going to happen.

"Hey guys!" Ike said nervously. "Soren, let's go take our seats at the table now, shall we?" He took hold of Soren's arm and lead him away. Soren snarled at the obsessive shop girl. "See you later, Aimee." Aimee simply glared at both of them as they walked away from her.

**A/N: Hahaha...Aimee's such a whore! :P Hope you enjoyed that little tidbit! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Chapter 7 has arrived! Yay! This chapter was a lot of fun to write, but it was also very challenging! As I mentioned before, I'm not very good at writing action material, and this chapter has a lot of that! It took me forever to get this to turn out, but eventually it did! I hope everyone is pleased with it! If you do have anything to say to me in the form of constructive criticism, please feel free to critique me all you want! I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Follow, favorite, and review! See you in chapter 8! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All characters you recognize belong to Nintendo/Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

"State your business, Ranulf," a gruff, Gallian jail guard inquired. He held in his giant hands a thick stack of papers, which contained the names of all those currently imprisoned. Besides Beorc, there were several Laguz of the beast tribe also being held prisoner, and Caineghis was one of them. "You know that no one is allowed to see the former king without permission from His Majesty."

"I only wish to speak with him for a moment," Ranulf said, his bi-colored eyes looking directly into the guard's own. "I will not be long at all. I swear."

The guard hesitated before opening the dungeon doors. "Alright, but I'll hold you to that." The large doors creaked open, revealing row after row of prison cells. Immediately to his right, Ranulf noticed a cell containing a young Beorc woman. She held a very small baby in her arms that looked only to be a few weeks old. The child's cries were faint, and the look on the woman's face was bleak as her eyes met Ranulf's. He gave her a pitying, sad smile, then kept on his way.

_Such atrocity!_ He thought to himself. _These poor people are not being fed!_ He clenched his fists in anger, hard enough so that his nails drew blood on his palms. He and the guard kept walking until they reached a larger cell at the end of the hall, the one that contained Caineghis.

"I will leave you here, then," the guard said. "I will come back for you in exactly five minutes." With that being said, the guard turned on his heel and headed back for the door.

Ranulf knelt down on the stone floor and placed his hands on the thick, metal bars. "Your Majesty," he said quietly, looking at the disheveled form of Caineghis that lie on a wooden surface that served as a bed. His back was to Ranulf, and his chest was heaving. Upon hearing his faithful servant's voice, the former lion king pulled himself up into a seated position on the bed.

"You should not address me in that way anymore, Ranulf," he said, staring down at the floor. "I am no longer Gallia's king." He hung his head in shame, sighing in disbelief.

"But you should be!" Ranulf said forcefully. "Everything that Skrimir has done and will continue to do." He tightened his grip on the bars. "It's not right!" Caineghis only shook his once proud head at this.

"I cannot do a thing about it, Ranulf," he sighed. "Even if you wanted to start a rebellion, you could not. Every Laguz who still possess morals is already here. Locked away."He turned his head in the direction of the cell adjacent to him. Ranulf followed his eyes, and was shocked to see his good, peace-loving friend Mordecai sitting in the corner. The large tiger Laguz was slowly rocking himself back and forth, his hands covering his ears.

"Mordecai!" he cried in horror. "He's here too?"

"Mmm," Caineghis nodded. "They brought him in just yesterday." He turned his head away. "He's the last of them. The ones who believe my nephew's ways are corrupt."

"I'm still here, Your Majesty," Ranulf assured. He could tell that Caineghis' eyes twitched upon being called royal again, even though his head was tilted down. "I will start a rebellion by myself, if I have to."

Caineghis could have laughed if the situation were not so dire. No one could match Skrimir's strength. It was unheard of. "You will surely be killed," he said. "Are there really no others? What about Lethe? And her twin sister, Lyre?"

Ranulf's eyes grew sad at the mention of those two names. "You know that Lethe has always possessed a strong dislike for the Beorc, Caineghis," he said. "And Lyre only aims to please her sister."

"So," Caineghis lifted his head once more to look at Ranulf. "They have accepted the mission?"

"Yes," Ranulf answered, his eyes drifting down to the floor. "There's a party for Queen Elincia going on in Crimea as we speak. Skrimir ordered Lethe and Lyre to capture Queen Crimea in an effort to get the country to wage war."

Caineghis sighed and nodded again, processing Ranulf's words. "It would be useless in attempting to put a stop to it," he said. "We can only hope and pray that Lethe and Lyre will not succeed in their task." He raised his head, a glimpse of determination in his eyes. "Ranulf, I want you to find a way to get Mordecai and the others out of here," he said, looking Ranulf in the eyes. "Once you have done so, go and find the Greil Mercenaries. I'm sure they would be more than willing to help our situation."

Ranulf gave Caineghis a curt nod before standing up. "I promise I will obey, Your Majesty." He saluted the lion and bowed his head slightly. "You have my word, as your loyal servant and former commander of your forces." Ranulf turned to walk away, but Caineghis' voice stopped him in his tracks.

"I only wanted peace among the Laguz and the Beorc," he said softly. "It seems that we are once again far away from that."

"Caineghis-" Ranulf began to speak, but Caineghis cut him off.

"Go now, Ranulf. Think of a plan. I'm counting on you to restore Gallia to its former glory." Caineghis lied down on the hard wooden surface once again, groaning in discomfort.

"I will not disappoint you, Your Majesty," Ranulf promised. Then he turned to leave the dungeons, his mind reeling with thoughts of how to liberate his fellow Gallians.

* * *

Rhys stared at the glass of wine that a young female server had put on the table in front of him. He was tempted to just grab it and chug the whole thing down, but he knew he would pay for it later. He and alcohol didn't exactly mix. In fact, he remembered a time when Shinon dared him to drink a shot of whiskey. Needless to say, he was drunk beyond words after that. He realized that it didn't take much to get himself completely zonked, and swore he would never drink again. He continued to gaze upon the glass of wine though, ever so longingly.

"Um...are you gonna drink that, Rhys?" Gatrie asked from across the table. Rhys was immediately torn out of his trance. He blinked at Gatrie several times before his brain actually processed what was said to him.

"Oh! No, you can have it," he answered, handing the glass to the cheerful-looking lance user.

"I'm telling you, Empress Sanaki. Red wine comes right out!" The priest turned his attention down the table a ways, where Edward was rubbing a wet napkin furiously over the sleeve of the Empress of Begnion's beautiful, white gown.

"Edward, I understand you're trying to help," Sanaki began, looking rather annoyed. "But you're only making it worse." In response, she sharply pulled her arm away. "Sigrun," she said, turning to the aqua-haired woman sitting beside her. "When we get home to Sienne, this will need to be soaked in vinegar." She gestured to her sleeve, and Sigrun nodded.

Edward blushed and looked away, feeling ashamed of his actions. Rolf was watching the whole thing, and he comfortingly patted the swordsman on the shoulder.

Queen Elincia tapped her silver goblet with her spoon then, and stood up from her seat at the head of the table. "If I may have everyone's attention, please?" she spoke in a loud voice. The crowd of people at the table immediately quieted down. "First of all, I would just like to thank all of you for attending tonight. Your presence here makes this event all the more joyous." Her statement was met with thunderous applause and she waited to continue, smiling brightly at all the happy faces. "Thank you. I would especially like to thank a select few of you now, because you have truly bettered my life and made me who I am today. First, is Empress Sanaki, the Holy Apostle of Begnion." The crowd clapped and cheered again. "Empress, I hope you continue to rule over Begnion in the kind and just way that you always have." More applause filled the hall. Elincia cleared her throat. "Next, I would like to thank King Sothe and his beloved Queen Micaiah, of Daein. May the both of you always know the love your people have for you. And I wish you the best of luck as you await the arrival of your little one." This comment earned a few different reactions from the crowd. Most people just clapped again, but several 'awwed' and congratulated them.

"Micaiah, that's wonderful!" said Ike, who was sitting across from her. He gave her a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Ike," Micaiah said, smiling back. Her smile quickly faded, however, and she looked down at her lap.

"Last but not least," Elincia started speaking again. "I would like to thank my Lord Ike." Ike looked up at her, surprised that she acknowledged him. "Ike, you have been there to aid this country during two dreadful wars. I am more than happy that you've chosen to return. You are a hero, whether you like to admit it or not," she laughed. "And all of Tellius needs your strength and courage." She sat back down and everyone applauded once again.

"If I may," Geoffrey announced, standing up. "I would like to make a toast to my lovely wife, Queen Elincia. May she have a very happy birthday." He smiled adoringly at Elincia, then raised his glass in the air. "To Queen Elincia!"

"To Queen Elincia!" Everyone else echoed, picking up their glasses as well. After the toast, they all returned to eating and chatting merrily amongst themselves. Soren reached for his wine glass to take a sip, but noticed the liquid inside was swirling about in a rather strange manner. He looked at everyone else's glasses, and saw they were doing the same. Glasses that were empty were even bouncing up and down on the table ever so slightly.

"Ike," Soren said, turning to his friend. "Do you sense something...odd?" Not long after he had said this, Micaiah dropped her fork. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she slid out of her chair. Several people around them gasped, letting everyone else know that something was terribly wrong.

"Micaiah!" Sothe cried, rushing to kneel down beside her. "What's wrong?" He took her hand in his and ran his thumb over it rapidly. "Something is about to happen?" Micaiah's eyes were wide open and fixed on the ceiling, not blinking at all. Slowly, she nodded her head.

"What's the matter with her?" Ike asked, joining Sothe on the floor. Many others were now crowded around them as well.

"She has seen something," Sothe answered, breathing hard. "And from what it looks like, something horrible."

Loud cries and gasps were heard from the crowd. Mist ran towards the fallen queen, a look of shock on her face. "Does she need to be healed?" she asked. "Hang on! I'll go get a staff from my room."

"No, Mist," Soren said, grabbing her wrist. They looked into each other's eyes, and the contact was a little uncomfortable. "I can feel vibrations on the floor. Can't you?" Soren said, breaking the awkwardness. Mist seemed to steady herself, trying to pick up any movement.

"They're...coming..." Micaiah murmured, and everyone's attention turned to her. "Many...of them..."

"Many of what? Who?" Ike asked. Mia had joined him at his side, cradling Erin in her arms. She gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"Laguz...of the beast tribe..." Micaiah's words seemed to linger in the air as everyone in the room tried to digest them. Her breathing picked up then, and Sothe moved to hold her trembling body in his arms.

"Beast Laguz?" Mia asked. "Why would they want to attack us?"

"They're coming!" Micaiah was screaming now as Sothe hugged her even closer to him. Just then, the doors to the banquet hall burst open, revealing a large quantity of Laguz warriors, with two orange cat Laguz at the front.

"Is that...Lethe?" Titania asked, squinting her eyes. "And her sister?"

The two cats at the front shifted into their human forms, revealing their identities. "Well, well," Lethe said, coming closer to the frightened crowd of people. "Sorry to crash the party."

"Lethe?" Ike said, standing up. "What are you doing? Why have you come here?" His questions were met with a sharp hiss.

"Just like the Beorc to immediately question our presence somewhere!" Lethe spat. "As it so happens," she continued. "My sister and I were sent here by our King." She motioned for Lyre to join her. "We hope you don't mind that we've brought some other guests as well." The army of cat and tiger Laguz alike growled and hissed, preparing themselves for a fight. The two sisters transformed again, low growls escaping their throats.

"Everyone, get yourselves out of here now!" Ike shouted at the top of his lungs. The hall was then consumed with fighting, as angry Laguz charged towards the crowd. "Mia!" Ike said, grabbing his partner's arm. "Find Boyd and tell him to get you and Erin to safety!"

"Alright!" Mia replied, a tear rolling down her cheek. Mia was not one to cry, so Ike knew she was scared for her life and the lives of those she loved. "Please be careful, Ike," she said, giving him a quick kiss. Then she ran off, their child her in arms, to find the green-haired axe wielder.

It was truly a scene of terror. The rampaging Laguz did not seem to be thinking twice about what they were doing. The party guests found that they were outnumbered, but they did not lose hope. Those who could defend themselves did so to their best of their ability, and protected those who could not.

"Mommy!" a little girl shouted from the far side of the room. She was up against the wall, cornered by a brown tiger Laguz. The beast raised its paw to strike at her, but a sudden wave of flames engulfed it, sending it to its death.

"Calill!" a burly man known as Largo shouted to the mage who had cast the fire spell. "I'm going to help hold them off on this side! Protect Amy!" Largo ran off to join Oscar and Gatire, who had their hands full at the moment.

"It's alright, Amy," Calill whispered to her foster daughter. "Mommy's here now." She enveloped the small girl in her arms, hugging her tight.

Mist held her sword out in front of her, ready to strike the next Laguz who crossed her path. She was not looking behind her, however, and a gray cat prepared itself to pounce at her. Before it even knew what hit it, it was knocked away by a strong gust of wind. Mist whipped her head around to see what happened. The cat's body was covered in deep gashes, blood seeping from its wounds. Mist knew this could've only been the work of one sage.

"Get behind me, Mist!" Soren ordered. "Ike wouldn't want his baby sister to die here!"

Mist did as she was told, and the two of them fought off the oncoming Laguz back to back. Once there were no more coming their way, they turned to face each other. They were both out of breath, and gasping for air.

"Good work, Mist," Soren said casually, but Mist swore she saw a hint of a smile grace his lips.

"You too, Soren," Mist said. She, on the other hand, was not afraid to smile at him. Then they both turned their attention to the center of the room, where Ike was preparing to fight Lethe.

"Lethe, why are you doing this?" Ike asked. "What is your reasoning?"

Lethe uttered a low growl. "Our King feels that Beorc and Laguz can no longer coexist," she snarled. "One must rule over the other."

Ike was stunned with what she told him. "Why has Skrimir done this? Why does he suddenly have so much hatred towards Beorc?"

"He has always hated the Beorc!" Lethe hissed. "And so have I. Which is why I intend to kill you right now..." She transformed and readied herself to jump at Ike, but her sister's voice interrupted her.

"Lethe!" Lyre called from across the room. "Our numbers are too few! We have to get out of here!"

Lethe gave Ike one last look of sheer hatred, then shifted back and ordered her forces to retreat. "We will be back, Ike," she snarled. "And then no one shall be left alive!" The beast Laguz gathered their wounded and fled the palace just as fast as they had come.

"Ike!" Mist shouted, running towards her brother. "Thank the Goddesses you're okay!" She wrapped him in a warm hug.

"You too, Mist," Ike said, squeezing his sister tightly. "I was hoping you'd be alright."

"Well, you can thank Soren for that," Mist said, gesturing toward the sage who stood beside them. "Otherwise, I'd be a goner!"

Ike turned to look at his best friend. "Thank you, Soren."

Soren gave Ike a half smile, then bowed his head. Micaiah and Sothe joined them then, followed by Titania, Ilyana, and Nephenee. "Is everyone alright?" Micaiah asked.

"We're fine," Ike answered, then the look on his face became more serious. "This is what you wanted to tell me, wasn't it, Micaiah?"

Micaiah nodded her head. "A while back, Skrimir ordered Sothe and I to be killed," she said softly. "Kyza and Giffca were the ones he appointed. When we asked Kyza why, he responded only that Skrimir would have his vengeance."

"But what could he possibly mean by that?" Ike asked.

"Heaven knows what, Ike," Soren said. "But one thing is for sure." He lowered his voice so not everyone in the room could hear. "War is evident at this point."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm sure I've left a bunch of you in suspense for about a month waiting for this chapter! I'm really sorry it took so long! I've been busy writing one-shots, trying to scrounge up some more ideas for this story. Hopefully now I've got a better grasp on what I actually want to happen haha! I'm thinking that as of right now, this story will most likely end up being finished by late May/early June. Of course, that depends if my weekends are actually free. School has started again, and senior year is totally gonna kick my butt! :P But I hope I can stay on schedule as much as possible. I plan to continue with my one-shots, though, so stay tuned for those! Also, if you haven't voted on my recent poll, don't forget to do that! That's going to decide which one-shot I write next. The poll will be closed next Friday, August 30. Before I continue, I would just like to take a moment to thank my wonderful beta reader, Cormag Ravenstaff, who was so very kind to review all my work! Cormag, you are AWESOME! :D Alrighty guys, remember to follow, favorite, and review, and I'll see you all in chapter 9! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All characters you recognize belong to Nintendo/Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

The carnage left in the banquet hall after the Laguz attack was catastrophic. The large table had been overturned and was charred a bit from the use of fire magic. Pieces of glass from shattered plates and goblets were strewn everywhere, as well as the silver. Broken chairs lay around the room in all sorts of different places. There were quite a few dead Laguz as well, leaking blood all over the pristine, white marble floor.

Elincia shielded her eyes from the sight as Geoffrey held her close to him. She had seen the aftermath of war before, but somehow, this was different. The surprise attack had really gotten to her. She wept openly into her husband's chest as he tightened his hold on her. Everywhere Geoffrey looked, he saw injured guests. No one was dead, thank the goddess, but still, the sight of so much blood in their palace was unnerving.

Ike looked around the room for his company. He saw Zihark cradling a disheveled Ilyana in a quiet corner of the room and briskly walked over to them. "Zihark!" he shouted, kneeling down on the floor next to him. "Is she-"

"No, Ike," Zihark cut him off. "She's not dead. She merely fainted, is all." Ike could tell from Zihark's tone that he was quite worried about her. He uttered a nervous laugh as he moved her lithe body closer to his. "But it wasn't from lack of food."

Ike smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder. "I trust you'll take good care of her until she wakes up then?"

Zihark returned the smile and nodded. "You can count on me, Ike." He looked down at Ilyana's doll-like face and his finger traced along her cheek. Ike then got up to leave and check on everyone else. Towards the center of the room, Rhys was tending to Oscar, who had received quite the gash across his abdomen from a tiger Laguz. Said paladin was writhing on the floor in pain, and Gatrie had to hold him down so he wouldn't run away.

"Ouch, Rhys! That hurts!" Oscar screamed. Gatrie pressed harder on him, making his face contort into a tight grimace.

"Oscar, stop moving!" Rhys scolded. "You're spilling blood all over!" Rhys' eyes drifted to the pool next to him, and he struggled to keep his dinner down. After hearing this, Oscar finally cooperated. Ike winced upon seeing him. He didn't think Oscar had ever been injured that badly before.

"Ike!" A familiar voice suddenly called out to him. He turned around swiftly to see Mia running towards him. She was not holding their daughter.

"Mia!" Ike said, rushing to meet her. "I'm so glad you're alright!" he said, throwing his strong arms around her. Then his face twisted into a look of horror and he pulled away from her. "But where's Erin?"

"Micaiah offered to tend to her while we sort things out here," Mia answered. "The poor girl. I think she was really shaken up by all this."

Ike breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as Erin is in good hands." He embraced his partner once again, and she in turn buried her face in his chest.

"Ike?" Mist said, tapping her brother on the shoulder. Ike let go of Mia and turned to face Mist.

"What is it?" he asked, concern on his face.

"Queen Elincia thinks you and a healer should go and check the streets for injured people," she informed. "I would go with you, but Rhys told me to stand by and help with Oscar."

Ike nodded. "Alright. Soren?" he shouted, scanning the hall for his best friend. The loyal sage looked up from the opposite side of the room, and made his way over to Ike.

"Yes, Ike?" he asked. "What do you need?"

"Queen Elincia wants us to look for injured citizens in the streets." Ike told him. "Do you have your staff with you?"

"Yes, it's up in my stay room. I'll just go get it and meet you in the foyer." Soren said, and left the banquet hall to fetch the item.

Mia touched Ike's arm gently, causing the swordsman to flinch a little with surprise. "Please be careful. Some of them could still be wandering the streets," she warned. "You don't want to be caught off guard.

"Don't worry, I won't let my guard down," he assured her. "Besides, Soren will be with me. He has eyes in the back of his head."

Mia couldn't help but giggle. She stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on Ike's lips. Ike smiled when he noticed the gleam in her eyes was coming back.

"I'd better get going now," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders. She nodded her head solemnly and reached up to entwine her fingers in his. He placed a delicate kiss on the tips of each of them, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Just remember what I said," Mia reminded. "I'm going to go see how Micaiah's doing." With that, she quickly left the room.

* * *

"It's terribly cold out here. And wet," Soren commented as he pulled his cloak tighter around his thin shoulders. The sky was black, but the outlines of thick cumulonimbus clouds could still be seen. Heavy drops of rain pelted the quiet and deserted streets of Melior. Soren shivered, clutching his staff tightly in his hand. He and Ike paved their way through the streets, looking around for any sign of life at all.

"Get some more meat on you, and you wouldn't be so cold," Ike pointed out, looking straight ahead of him. "That's why heat doesn't faze you. You've got no insulation." Ike could feel Soren's eyes burning into the back of his head, which caused him to crack a satisfied smile.

"I have enough meat on me to keep my body functioning properly, Ike," Soren retorted.

Ike chuckled lightly. "Then stop complaining." He heard Soren let out a low growl behind him, then the sound of his light footsteps padding along quickly. They both continued to scan the streets, not seeing a lone dead body or even an injured one. "They must've all heard the Laguz coming and ran for the safety of their homes," Ike said, his eyes constantly darting from side to side. "There's not a single person in sight."

"Or they've all been taken hostage by the Laguz," Soren put in. Ike shot Soren an adamant look, and the sage only shrugged his shoulders. He always did have a gift for seeing the glass half empty.

"Well, either way," Ike said. "You'd think there'd be at least a few wounded people." He turned a corner down a different street and Soren followed closely behind him. Just around the corner, stood a rundown weapons shop. The large display window in the front was shattered, and bits of glass were strewn all around it. "I don't think it was like that before," Ike said, turning around to face Soren. Soren shook his head, not breaking eye contact with the rather suspicious sight. His eyes drifted down to the ground, and widened at what they saw. "Soren?" Ike asked, noticing his friend's look of shock. "What's the matter?"

Soren timidly pointed to a spot on the cobblestone by the broken shop window. "Look," he said simply." Ike's eyes followed Soren's finger, and he gasped loudly. On the ground, were a set of large, cat paw prints, made with blood. Inside the shop, a single moan was heard.

"There's somebody in there!" Ike shouted, grabbing Soren's wrist and dragging him towards the door. Ike powerfully kicked open the bolted door and rushed inside. Swords and lances littered the floor, along with a few broken arrows. A large shelf lay overturned in the middle of the shop, and a hand jutted out from underneath it. "Help me move it, Soren!" Ike said, gripping the underside of the shelf.

"You want _me_ to help you lift _that_?" Soren asked incredulously.

"Yes, Soren," Ike answered, slightly annoyed. "Every bit of strength counts, even if you don't have much."

Soren didn't press the issue any further. He set his staff down and assumed the same position as Ike, clenching his teeth. "Ready when you are," he said.

"Alright, on the count of three, pull up as hard as you can," Ike said. "But use your back instead of your arms, otherwise you might tear them out of their sockets."

"That's comforting," Soren muttered. Ike ignored the comment, however, and began counting.

"One...two...THREE!" With a single thrust, and not much help from Soren, Ike lifted the shelf into the air. "Okay, now let's push it over there!" Slowly, the shelf began to slide across the floor, revealing the body that lie underneath. Soren's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw just who it was, and he almost let go of the shelf, not that it would've made much of a difference. When they had pushed the shelf off of the body completely, the moan was heard again. Soren gave Ike a grim look, and when the commander turned around and got a good view of the man in question, the figurative dam that was holding back his tears nearly burst.

"Shinon!" he shrieked, rushing toward the red haired archer. Shinon had numerous lacerations across his chest and abdomen, no doubt the work of a cat Laguz, and they were bleeding profusely. Ike knelt down beside the man, and tried to staunch the bleeding as best he could. "Soren, your staff!"

Soren nodded sharply and picked up his heal staff. The glow from the orb was cast down onto Shinon's face, and he opened his eyes ever so slightly. "Ah...I-Ike?" he spoke through clenched teeth.

"Shinon, can you hear me?" Ike turned Shinon's face towards his, and immediately, the marksman scowled.

"Damn...sub-humans..." he managed to spit out. He then began to cough uncontrollably, spewing blood from his mouth.

"Keep him under control, Ike," Soren warned. "Otherwise I won't be able to heal him properly." Ike complied, moving his hand to hold Shinon's head down.

"Ike," Shinon began speaking again. "I never thought I'd say this...but, thanks..." Shinon looked directly into Ike's eyes, not breaking contact for a second.

Ike gave him a stern look. "You can cut that out, Shinon," he said. "You're not going to die here."

"I mean it, Ike!" Shinon yelled, causing him to erupt in another coughing fit. This time, Soren took the initiative to rest his free hand on Shinon's heaving chest.

"Be still, your beating heart," he mumbled in the ancient tongue. Shinon continued to cry out in pain for the entirety of the healing process. When Soren had finished, he set his staff aside and took Shinon's wrist in his hand, resting his thumb upon the veins. "His pulse seems to be normal now," he said after about a minute. "We should get him back to the palace."

Ike nodded, then looked down at Shinon. "Do you think you can stand up on your own?"

Shinon was about to open his mouth, when Soren spoke for him. "Stand, yes. But he'll probably need to lean on you." Shinon uttered something under his breath, and Soren gave him a warning glance. " And before you call me a whelp, Shinon, I suggest you think about who it was that saved your life."

Shinon glared daggers at the wise little tactician, but kept his mouth shut. Ike helped him get to his feet, and they hobbled out of the shop, with Soren leading the way.

"So, Shinon," Ike tried to start a conversation. "What have you been doing for the last month?"

Shinon was clearly amused by the question, but he didn't dare laugh. "I've been here in Melior," he said. "That little shop you found me in? I've been working there, making bows for the guy who owns it." Shinon stumbled over a large rock that he didn't see on the ground, but Ike caught him before he could fall. "Thanks," he said, rather monotonously.

A few painful minutes passed before Ike spoke again. "Rolf's been really worried about you." This comment caused Shinon to jerk his head up.

"That's weird," he said, trying to hide the obvious pained expression on his face. _Damn._ He thought to himself. _The last thing I wanted to do was upset Rolf._

"Shinon, we all know what's been going on between you two," Ike said. "And that was even _before_ Rolf accidentally spilled the beans." Ike could feel Shinon grow rigid against his side.

"Well, I guess the secret's out then," Shinon said. "I'm gonna need a cold beer to wash this down."

"Not until you're fully recovered," Soren's stern voice penetrated the air. "In your current state, even the smallest glass of ale will give your mind delusions."

Shinon growled softly, but kept on walking without another word passing his lips. Ike let an inaudible chuckle escape from his throat. Soren and Shinon had never really gotten along in the past, but he hoped that someday they would.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Hopefully it won't be another month before I update again! :P**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm back! A lot sooner than I expected to be, actually! School and homework haven't been unbearable just yet! So I give you chapter 9 of ToR! I actually got this chapter written over the course of about four hours, which is pretty quick for me, considering it usually takes me about a day. But the words just kinda, rolled off my mind and onto the keyboard! :P I really hope you all enjoy this chapter! Also, just a little side note: Over the weekend, when my family was making our annual Labor Day trek to Minnesota for a family reunion, I saw a road sign for a town called Boyd. I'm dead serious! I think I almost strained myself trying to keep from bursting out laughing! Alright, that's all I have to say. I felt like I needed to share that with you guys haha! :P Remember to follow, favorite, and review! See you all in chapter 10! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All characters you recognize belong to Nintendo/Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

The next morning, an important meeting was held between the leaders of Crimea, Begnion, and Daein. Ike and the Greil Mercenaries were invited as well, seeing as they were one of Crimea's top military forces, and had been involved in wars before. They all gathered in Castle Crimea's audience hall, taking seats around a long, ovular table in the center of the room. Lucia, who was Queen Elincia's advisor, took roll call once everyone was seated. She held a quill and a scrap of parchment in her hands, checking off the names as she called out each one.

"All are present, my Queen," she said once she had finished reading all of the names. Lucia pushed her cerulean hair-now beginning to grow out again since she cut it two years ago-out of her face and set the paper and quill down on the table as she took a seat beside Elincia.

Elincia acknowledged Lucia and cleared her throat. "Every single one of us knows why we are here today," she began, her voice a bit gravelly. It was obvious to everyone in the room that she had been crying for quite some time. "The Laguz attack led by Lethe has made it quite clear that they are very upset with us, and they desire revenge for something we may or may not have done."

"I apologize," Micaiah's soft voice said suddenly, and everyone turned their attention to her. "I should have contacted you when they first attempted to murder Sothe and myself. Perhaps this never would have happened. The fault is mine." Sothe placed a gentle hand on her shoulder in an effort to ease her pain.

"None of us here shall take the fall, my dear sister," Sanaki said, giving Micaiah a weak but reassuring smile. "Surely the Laguz would have attacked anyway."

"But perhaps if we'd known ahead of time-" Shinon began, but was interrupted by Titania giving him a sharp elbow to his ribcage. He immediately doubled over in pain, his torso colliding with the surface of the table.

"Do not speak unless you are spoken to!" Titania hissed, grabbing his ponytail and pulling him back up into his chair. She then thought to add in a less harsh tone, "This is a formal meeting." Shinon only glowered at her for several seconds before another voice piped up.

"Empress Sanaki, if my may," Soren said. Sanaki nodded her head stately in approval. "How are your relations with the Laguz officers in your country?"

Sanaki seemed to ponder this question for a while before giving an answer. "I thought they were just fine. But in light of current events, they must not be." She paused for a moment. "I spoke with Muarim and Tormod just the other day and they said all was well."

Sothe couldn't help but let out a quiet groan at the mention of Tormod's name. The plucky young mage always insisted they were such good friends, when in reality, Sothe didn't really want much to do with him. He had to give Tormod credit where credit was due, though. He and his Laguz foster father Muarim were a big help to Micaiah's army during the Goddess's War.

"Perhaps they don't know," Soren implied. "Muarim has all but distanced himself from the Beast Tribe, instead choosing to live among the Beorc in Begnion. He probably has no idea what is happening in Gallia."

"And what do you think the situation in Gallia is, tactician Soren?" Sanaki asked.

Soren bowed his head ever so slightly. "I'm afraid I have not the slightest idea, Empress Sanaki."

"Does anyone know?" Sanaki addressed everyone, taking on a rather annoyed tone. "Has anyone had much relation with Gallia since the end of the war?" Her question was met with blank stares from all of them. Eventually, Queen Elincia spoke again.

"King Skrimir and I signed a non-aggression treaty between our countries," she said. "Obviously, he's broken it now."

The room was silent for several minutes, which felt like hours to some. The atmosphere outside turned a cloudy grey, as steady raindrops pattered on the roof of the palace. The water droplets splattered on the window panes, making the outside world look like a swirling mess. For a brief moment, it seemed like everyone silently asked the same question in the safety of their minds: Will we go to war?

"We all know we can't deny it," one of Begnion's commanding officers, a woman named Tanith, said, shattering the silence and answering the unasked question. "I think it's painfully obvious that Gallia wants us to declare war."

"But we have no idea why," Sigrun told her. "We know nothing of their motives, or why they planned to assassinate King Sothe and Queen Micaiah. Then there's the matter of last night's attack."

"Maybe we should just request an audience with Skrimir and inquire what he wants of us," Micaiah suggested. "It could save us the trouble of war."

"With all due respect, Queen Micaiah, you're forgetting what kind of person Skrimir is," Soren said. "He acts purely on impulse and doesn't give much thought to his actions. He cares little for diplomacy. Simply talking with him will avail us nothing."

Micaiah nodded and sighed heavily, for she knew the cunning tactician was correct. For another long moment, the room was silent.

"Soren's right," Ike said, speaking up for the first time since he'd entered the room. "Skrimir isn't someone to play around with."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Commander Ike? Stand around and wait for another attack?" Sanaki jeered, thrusting a hypothetical sword into Ike's side with her sharp tongue. Ike brushed off her jab, however, and continued speaking.

"We prepare ourselves in case they strike again," he said. "We need to build up an army of defense, but we shouldn't declare war just yet."

Soren shot Ike an inquisitive look, and Titania did likewise. "Ike, Skrimir has done wrong, and it only makes sense that we return the blow he dealt us," Soren pointed out. The red-headed deputy commander nodded in approval. But Soren couldn't fool Ike. The commander knew his strategist was only saying so because of his deeply buried hatred of Skrimir, and the Beast Tribe in general. Ike looked at Soren, his eyes seeming to say, "Think with your heart, for a change. Not with your head." Soren caught onto this and dropped his eyes to the floor, no further words passing from his lips.

"If we declare war, we may just be giving Skrimir exactly what he wants, and that's not an option," Ike continued. "If Skrimir wants a fight, then we'll delay it for as long as possible."

Just then, a palace guard clad in heavy, grey armor burst into the room. "Queen Elincia!" he shouted, breathing heavily. He'd clearly been running all over trying to find her. "A prince of the Heron clan has arrived at the palace!"

The room immediately burst into quiet murmurs and confused expressions. "A Heron?" Elincia asked above the noise, trying to deduce if she heard the guard correctly. The guard-who now, upon removal of his helmet looked only about fifteen-nodded his head swiftly. "Show him in," Elincia gave the order.

Moments later, the Heron prince, Rafiel staggered into the audience hall. His ceremonial white robes were stained putridly with mud and torn beyond repair. His long, flaxen hair was knotted and dirtied also. His immaculate white wings looked almost a light shade of brown, due to accumulated soil and sand.

"Rafiel!" Micaiah exclaimed, quickly getting up from her seat and rushing to meet him. His green eyes met with hers, and they began to water. "Are you alright?" Micaiah asked, embracing him. Once she had secured him in her arms, the heron allowed himself to fall into her. He coughed dryly, and Micaiah swore she saw a bit of dust escape his mouth.

"He looks like he's about ready to faint!" Zihark shouted, coming to the prince's aid. Rafiel opened his mouth slowly, in preparation to speak.

"I've come...from Hatari..." He said, his voice strained from his coughing. "I...walked... the whole way..."

"All the way from Hatari?" Elincia gasped. "But that means you crossed the Desert of Death! Poor thing, you must be exhausted!" Elincia told Lucia to have the palace healers attend to Rafiel, but the Heron prince interrupted her.

"No...please..." He said. "I have...grave...news..." Everyone gazed upon Rafiel to show him that they were listening. "Skrimir...he's contained Queen Nailah and...the rest of the Wolf clan...in Hatari. She was...planning on migrating her people...but she refused to join Skrimir's alliance...so now there are Gallian soldiers everywhere...patrolling every corner of Hatari." After Rafiel finished speaking, he slipped into unconsciousness, becoming dead weight in the arms of Micaiah and Zihark.

* * *

"I realize that war is the last thing anyone wants at the moment, but sometimes, it's absolutely necessary!" Soren ranted as he leafed through countless books on the shelves of the palace's library. After the meeting, he decided he needed some alone time, and that time usually consisted of drowning himself in books. He had insisted on many occasions that the printed word was the only truth in life, and if something was not penned, you couldn't trust it. He had hoped to come to the library alone, but Mist insisted on tagging along, bringing Rolf with her.

"But Ike's probably right, you know. We could be playing directly into Skrimir's hands, or paws, that is," Rolf said, letting the smallest giggle escape him, much to Soren's annoyance.

The sage's skeletal fingers abruptly and non-intentionally stopped their fluid motion over a thick book on the history of the Branded. _Figures._ He thought to himself. He mustered a deep sigh, turning to face the green-haired archer, who stood practically on top of him. "Have you learned nothing about war? Is the concept of revenge completely new to you?" he asked, raising his tone a little.

"Considering I have an older brother who's main hobby consists of getting revenge on me, I'd say I'm pretty familiar with it," Rolf said matter-of-factly, folding his arms over his chest.

"Well, when Boyd hits you, you hit him back, don't you?" Soren asked.

"Yeah," Rolf answered, a twinge of anger sparking inside him from the thought of Boyd slapping or punching him.

"So when another country invades your own and launches a military attack, you counter with your own offensive, do you not?" Soren could've smirked when he saw Rolf's face fall. He knew he'd made his point. "That's what I thought." Soren turned his attention back to the books and continued to browse.

"Rolf, you should know by now that no one can win an argument against Soren. It's quite impossible," Mist called from the far side of the room where she was curled up in a large armchair, reading a fiction novel. She put the book aside and walked over to where the two were standing. Soren selected a book about the Serenes Massacre from the shelf and was about to open it, when Mist snatched it out of his hands.

"Mist! What are you doing? Give it back!" Soren complained, and he scolded himself for sounding childish. Mist simply waved the book in front of his face, and when Soren tried to grab at it, she quickly moved it in another direction. "Mist!" Soren said her name again, this time choosing a more threatening tone of voice.

Mist giggled and began running around the room, weaving in and out of the tall bookshelves. "If you want it, you'll have to take it from me!"

Soren sighed. "I don't want to have to do this." But he willed his feet to move anyway, as he walked, not ran, in between the shelves looking for Mist. "This really isn't amusing, Mist," he called out.

"Really? 'Cause I think it's pretty hilarious," Rolf snickered behind his hand.

"You have to find me if you want your book back!" Mist chided. Soren cursed under his breath. This library was like a maze.

Mist giggled as she slowly stepped out from behind a shelf. Little did she know, Soren was on the opposite side of it. When he saw her, she gasped and immediately bolted for the center of the room where all the chairs and desks were. Soren shouted out her name again, and this time, began to chase swiftly after her. When Mist neared the middle of the room, she looked back at Soren, and her foot suddenly caught on one of the desk legs. She tumbled forward, falling flat onto her back. Soren couldn't stop himself in time, because he wasn't used to running at such speeds. He met with the same obstruction, causing him to fall directly on top of Mist. The two of them just lied there on the floor for a moment, not really knowing what to do. They could only stare into each other's eyes, a shocked expression on both their faces. They were both panting, physically exerted from doing so much running.

"You have pretty eyes," Mist spoke after several seconds, still out of breath.

"...Thank you?" Soren responded, not exactly sure what to respond with. Soren stared at her awkwardly for another few seconds, then cleared his throat. He carefully moved himself off of her, and offered his hand to help her up. She gratefully accepted, smiling broadly.

Rolf came bouncing over to them as they were picking themselves up off the floor. "Woah! That was awesome!" he exclaimed. "You just, like, collided into each other! WHAM!" As he said that, he clapped his hands together loudly for added effect. Rolf was not able to hold back his laughter, and was soon doubled over in a chair, holding his gut.

Mist began to laugh, too, though not as strongly as Rolf. "Oh, I almost forgot," she said, bending down to pick up the book that had fallen with her. "Here you go."

Soren took the book from her, but instead of opening it, he threw it off to the side, where it landed on a nearby desk. Mist couldn't help but gape at him. "I was never really in a reading mood, anyway," he said. And then he smiled at her. Mist's eyes lit up, for she had never seen anything more beautiful in all her life.

* * *

**A/N: FLUFF! Hehe, I hope you enjoyed that as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Okay, so I didn't want to have to mention this again, but it appears I have to. I've recently gotten an influx of anonymous reviews on this story. Now this wouldn't bother me if Fanfiction allowed authors to reply to guest reviews, but since they don't, I really don't like getting them. A lot of you guest reviewers are asking questions that I really want to answer, but I can't because that's just the way it is. I'm really sorry, but if you can't take the time to log in and post a review, then I don't feel motivated to even read it. I don't mean to sound rude, but that's just my personal preference as an author. From now on, if you leave an anonymous review, I will not hesitate to remove it. Now getting off that topic, I hope you enjoy chapter 10. Lots of emotional fluff in this chapter, which I apologize for because I feel like I'm really dragging this out more than it needs to be. But I enjoy fluff as much as I enjoy plot, so this probably won't be the last of it. :P That being said, I hope everybody thoroughly enjoys this chapter. I'll see you all in chapter 11! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All characters you recognize belong to Nintendo/Intelligent Systems.**

* * *

As was to be expected when his brother suddenly turned up in Melior, torn and battered, Reyson arrived soon after to inquire about Rafiel. He brought with him Tibarn, the Hawk King, and also Janaff and Ulki, who were Tibarn's 'eyes' and 'ears,' as they were respectively called. They all impatiently, and Reyson a little worriedly, rushed through the palace doors, without so much as waiting to be ushered inside by the guards. The queen knew they were coming, but to do so was still the height of rudeness, according to the palace attendants.

The disheveled Heron currently resided in the palace's infirmary, where Rhys carefully tended to him. Upon removal of his ragged robes, the healer had found that several scrapes and bruises marred his usually immaculate skin. Rhys noticed that the marks nearly covered him from head to toe. He gingerly placed a damp cloth atop the prince's head, causing him to stir slightly. Rafiel had been comatose for several hours now, but he was slowly beginning to come out of it. Rhys was watching the Heron's face so intently, that he nearly jumped out of his skin when the infirmary doors burst open.

"Where is he?" Reyson asked abruptly. "Where is my brother?" Upon entering the room, the hot-headed Heron prince picked up speed, and nearly ran to the cot which Rafiel rested upon.

Rhys quickly stood up from his chair and acted as a barrier between Reyson and the cot, trying to look intimidating, which for poor, well-mannered Rhys, was not an easy task. "Please, Reyson," he beseeched, holding his hands up in front of him. "Do not jar him. I'd like for him to wake up on his own accord." Rhys could tell that Reyson wanted to protest, but he willed himself not to. Carefully, he leaned over to get a closer look at his brother.

"Where did all these bruises come from?" he asked, not really to anyone in particular, Rhys realized. "Goddess, it looks like someone beat him up."

Tibarn, Janaff, and Ulki drew up by Reyson's side then, also wanting a better view. The Hawk King could only stare at the disarrayed figure before them. "Queen Elincia will be needing to meet with us, I presume?" he inquired of Rhys after several minutes of silence.

"Yes, I believe she said something about that," the healer said quietly. "I'll inform her that you've arrived. But for now, I think Reyson would like some alone time with his brother." And just like that, Rhys picked up his staff and quit the room. Tibarn, Janaff, and Ulki quickly followed, each of them occasionally looking back at the Heron siblings.

Reyson took the liberty to seat himself in the chair that Rhys had vacated. He pushed it up close to the cot, so that it was less than an inch away. He sighed and gently lifted Rafiel's hand to place it in his own. "Brother," he spoke softly. "You have no idea how worried I was about you. Leanne and I both. When they told us you were here, and in bad shape, I thought I was going to lose you." Reyson's hand tightened around Rafiel's, with no clear intention of letting go. "Leanne is well," he continued on. "She gave birth to her and Naesala's children a while ago. She'd be here as well, but with the twins being so small yet, and everything..." Reyson's voice trailed off a bit. "Maybe you didn't even know they were expecting." He suddenly found himself feeling very guilty. "Leanne and I haven't exactly been keeping in touch with you since the war. It's a shame that this is what it took for us to spend some quality time with each other." Reyson looked down at their intertwined hands, a small tear falling from the inner corner of his eye. "I'm so sorry, Brother."

"No, Reyson," Rafiel suddenly spoke, and Reyson's eyes shot up. Rafiel's voice was raspy and sounded as though there were fragments of gravel lodged in his throat.

"Rafiel?" Reyson said, his green eyes brightening up a bit.

"Reyson, the fault is mine," Rafiel continued. "I was in such a hurry to get back to Hatari after the war. I didn't even bother to write letters to Leanne and yourself." He began to cough then, and Reyson put a hand to his brother's forehead. "I feel like I distanced myself from you both, and I'm terribly sorry."

Reyson couldn't help but smile. "I should've known you'd take all the blame for this. You always were so keen on apologizing."

Rafiel looked his brother in the eyes and smiled also. "I'm surprised you apologized to me, actually," he chuckled. "You may act like a Hawk, but deep down, you're still the same Reyson I knew from before the Massacre."

Reyson's smile grew larger. "Once a Heron, always a Heron."

* * *

_Fools, the lot of them! They know nothing of what they do! They have no sense!_

"My Goddess, what ails you?"

_ Clearly, they underestimate my power. I, who have the eternal endowment to smite them whenever I wish! They mock me!_

"They are all imbeciles, my Goddess. They fail to recognize your true power."

_ Of course they do! They believe they've defeated me! But only you and I know better. Only you can help me rise to power once again. I saw great strength in you, and I immediately knew you would be the one. War will spread across Tellius, and when it does, you shall reap in victory, and I will be restored to my former glory. In the meantime, however, I am still weak. I must continue to use your body as a vessel for my vengeance. You must do whatever I ask of you. Swear to it._

"I swear, my Goddess. I will do anything you tell me."

_Excellent._

* * *

Ranulf wasn't sure how he'd managed to single-handedly free Mordecai and the others from prison. He didn't know what to expect when he'd snatched the keys from the sleeping guard. It was perhaps the most bizarre thing he'd ever done. Lucky enough for him, the guard on duty that night was the laziest of all of them, and he often fell asleep on the job. Ranulf knew he didn't have much time until another guard would be coming in for the next shift, so he had to act quickly. He only had time to free the Laguz prisoners, feeling terribly guilty and sorry for all the Beorc that were in there as well. But he knew he needed as many Laguz as he could get for the war that was coming. He worked swiftly, unlocking cell after cell. When he reached Mordecai, the large tiger got a surprised look on his face.

"Ranulf?" he said, his eyes widening. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like, Mordecai? I'm freeing you," Ranulf answered as he moved the key around inside the lock.

Mordecai 's expression changed from surprised to grateful in an instant. "Oh, Mordecai is very thankful for you, Ranulf! You will help bring peace among our peoples once again!" Ranulf finished unlocking the door and opened it slowly, as some of the cell doors had a tendency to squeak. Mordecai didn't waste any time in getting out of the cell, and he immediately wrapped his strong arms around Ranulf. "Let us go now," he said, releasing the smaller cat.

Ranulf nodded, and motioned for the others to follow him. He led them out of the dungeons and down a dark hallway. Through his years of working and living in the castle, Ranulf had learned of many secret passage ways. This one in particular happened to go directly underneath the capital city of Zarzi, and it led to the dense forest that bordered Gallia and Crimea. It was a few miles long, and very dark. Ranulf took a match out of his satchel and lit a torch on the wall. Once the torch flared to life, he lifted it from its holder and continued on. The others plodded quietly behind him, afraid to make any sudden moves just in case those above would hear them. Ranulf took note of this and chuckled softly.

"Relax," he said. "We're well enough below the surface. They can't hear us." This seemed to calm them down a bit, but they still dared not make an unnecessary sound. "We're almost out now," Ranulf said, after what seemed like hours of walking. They resurfaced out of a large, gaping hole in the ground, just outside the walls of the city. The tunnel had been disguised by a bush that made it seem like an ordinary crevice from the outside. As Ranulf had predicted, the forest stood just on the other side of the river. "We'll have to keep moving through the night," he said. "We cannot afford to stop and rest. Once morning comes, they'll know we've escaped and they'll come looking for us." Ranulf turned to face the others, and they all nodded their heads in understanding. "The faster we move through these forests, the faster we'll get to Melior, and hopefully to safety."

And so Ranulf led his small band of refugees through the thick trees, Mordecai close by his side. He didn't really know many of the others he'd rescued, but he knew they shared the same feelings he and Mordecai did. There was only one female among them, and Ranulf knew her by the name of Zeyd. She was a close friend of Lethe's, but their friendship ended once they discovered whose sides they were on. In fact, it was Lethe herself who had turned Zeyd in to Skrimir for treason. Ranulf couldn't even imagine how that must have felt. To be betrayed by your best friend. It only reminded Ranulf of how he and Skrimir had once been good friends, but they certainly were not any longer. Behind him, Ranulf could hear a soft, female cry. Zeyd had moved herself to the front of the pack, and was directly behind Mordecai. Ranulf turned his head to face her, and the female cat immediately straightened up, holding back tears in her bright aquamarine eyes. Her long silver hair created a shadow on her face and helped to hide her emotion, but Ranulf looked at her in a way that said she didn't have to mask the way she felt. They had all been betrayed by their own kind, and it was a sickening feeling. He silently gestured for her to join him at his other side, and she gratefully accepted. Truth be told, Zeyd was beautiful. Her hair was long and curly, and her eyes the most gorgeous shade of blue. In some kinds of light, they looked almost a pastel green. But tonight, in the soft moonlight, they were blue. Her hair had a voluminous, silver sheen, and it reminded Ranulf of the stars. It was only when she looked at him quizzically that he realized he'd been staring. Embarrassed, he turned away from her and focused his eyes on the path ahead of them. Mordecai noticed this and couldn't help but chuckle. Of course, this only caused Ranulf to turn a brighter shade of red then he already was. Playfully, he smacked Mordecai on his arm. The tiger simply shrugged his shoulders and grinned widely, pretending he hadn't noticed the whole thing. Zeyd began to toy with her wrists and innocently looked down at them. Beneath her thick locks of hair, she bore a sweet smile that she knew no one else could see, including Ranulf.

* * *

**A/N: I wasn't planning on adding any OC's (besides Erin, but she's just a baby so she hardly even has a personality :P) into this story, but for some reason I felt like Zeyd was necessary. We'll definitely be seeing more of her in future chapters. Hope you all enjoyed that! :)**


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